Naruto: Maoyū - The Wind Demon
by TheWriteFiction
Summary: While studying in the library, Naruto comes across one of the Fourth Hokage's old journals, which tells the story of his most harrowing and terrifying battle. A dangerous mission, a love triangle, a secret war, enemies joining forces, and a battle that would go on to decide the fate of the entire world. [Prequel] [Naruto: Maoyū storyline]
1. The Wind Demon - Prologue

**Author's Note:** Hello again everyone. This is another re-write and reupload of one of my previous stories.

This time it is tied in with my fanfiction _**Naruto: Maoyu**_. This one is what you would officially call a **prequel** , detailing events that will lead directly into the _**Maoyu**_ storyline.

In this one, we follow Minato's recount in an old diary that Naruto happens to come across in the library, one that Minato left there for Naruto to eventually find.

Here, we see the monstrous battle that Minato eventually fights, against a person that would be considered the main antagonist of both this story and the next. All you history buffs out there should be familiar with the legendary shinobi's name in this story.

But for now, I hope you all enjoy this (and hopefully the love triangle to come).

* * *

 **NARUTO:** ** _MAOYŪ_**

 _ **The Wind Demon**_

 _Prologue_

(Eleven Years after Kyuubi Attack)

It was the middle of the day over the village of _Konohagakure_ and, through the hustle and bustle of the shinobi metropolis, planted right in the center of the great superpower, stood the institute known as the village's central library. It was here at this very place, following a very lengthy and rewarding training session, the young duo Naruto and Tayuya had decided to pay a visit. Seeing as how they'd spent the last few hours working on strengthening their bodies and pushing themselves to their absolute limits, they now felt like flexing their brains a little and having some much-needed downtime. So, after getting themselves cleaned up and having a big, filling breakfast of porridge and juice, they headed straight to the building for a study session.

It was only into the first hour of their arrival at the facility, and both kids had already managed to grab a bunch of books from the shelves, which they now had piled up on the desk near where they were browsing.

Naruto, wearing his signature long-sleeved blue shirt, orange, hooded vest with blue trim, orange pants and blue sandals, was at that very moment perusing over some of the old books in the back shelves. His eyes narrowed hard on the articles stacked together in front of him as he scanned the numerous spines from right to left, searching intently for something that would assist him in his training. During which time his friend Tama sat comfortably on his shoulder, the little white fox watching with interest as her partner went through the row one item at a time.

Tayuya meanwhile was conducting her search at a more casual pace, using her finger to run over the titles as she inspected each book in turn. Dressed in her signature brown khaki halter top, black spandex shorts, black pull-up sleeves, shin guards, black sandals, with her beautiful pinkish-red hair running freely down her shoulders, the girl hummed to herself as she gently pulled out another non-fiction item from the collection.

"Sound Theory and Notation Orchestra Volume 1… and… Volume 2," she muttered to herself, before then glancing over her shoulder towards her blond partner standing a few feet down the aisle. Admiring him as he quietly looked over the books, Tayuya admittedly blushed a little when she saw the handsome, serious expression he was currently wearing, which had her heart flutter inside her chest. She then shook herself out of her daze and spoke to him with a smile. "Find anything interesting over there, shithead?"

"Well… I've got a complete history of legends and mythologies, as well as a complete range of ancient structures and artifacts, but nothing that really stands out in the ninja department," Naruto answered, before then furrowing his brow and glancing down at the lower rows. "Man… and I was hoping for more legendary shinobi stuff. You know… like Madara Uchiha, Hashirama Senju and all that…"

The pinkish, red-haired girl giggled and went back to pulling books out of her shelf. "I doubt that you'll be able to find anything like that in this part of the library. I bet most of the material you're looking for would be classified anyway."

"Yeah. But hey, with this amount of old books, there's no telling what you may find," Naruto chuckled, reaching up to pull a book entitled _Ancient Stone Monuments_ from one of the upper shelves. Figuring it might have something in their talking about shinobi from the eras before the hidden villages were founded, the blond promptly removed it from its housing. He then received a bit of a surprise when a second, smaller book got pulled out with it and dropped to the floor next to him. "Huh. What the hell…?" He then bent over to pick it up, only to stop short when his eyes landed on the cover.

The book was dark brown in appearance and, compared to the other fifty year old texts in front of him, looked to be in pretty good condition. This told Naruto that this item was probably only a few years old. What's more, aside from the quality of its edges and its surface, the thickness and weight of the book resembled that of your typical diary. However, it wasn't these aspects of the hardcover that got his attention. It was actually the name written on the bottom portion of the item that had him gawking, as it was a name he recognized all too well from his studies in class as well as from what Mikoto had told him years earlier.

"Minato… Namikaze…" The white vixen sitting on his shoulder barked lightly.

Hearing Naruto mutter had Tayuya stop and turn, "Huh? What was that?"

Naruto stood up with the diary in hand, turning it over to look at the back. Finding nothing he then held it up high for his friend to see, "I think I found an old journal belonging to my dad."

"Really? The Fourth Hokage? Let me see." Cutting off her own search, the kunoichi-in-training walked over to her crush and took the book from him. Scanning it just as the blond had done previously, Tayuya then cracked it open to the first couple of pages and noticed that the contents was all hand-written. Checking the names, dates and signatures inscribed in the headers and footers, the redhead then nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I think this is a Hokage journal. How about that?"

Taking it back from his roommate, Naruto stared at it curiously for a moment before then glancing at the shelves behind him. "Why in the world was it hiding all the way up there?" From the way that it'd been pushed tightly between the books, it was almost like someone had deliberately put it there. But who?

"Don't know. Are there any more?"

Clambering up the shelves to get a better angle, with Tama hopping off of his shoulder to give him some more leeway, the boy scanned the same platform and row for anymore diaries or books attached to the one he was currently holding. But after about a minute of pushing through the dusty texts, the blond delinquent turned up nothing and dropped back down to the floor.

"Nope. Zip. There's nothing else up there," the blond stated, at the same time glancing down at Tama, who was also staring at the book intently. "Huh. I wonder what this could be all about. If my dad was the one that wrote it, then it must be something important." It was then Naruto suddenly got a very wicked look in his eye, as he quickly looked up and threw a grin Tayuya's way. "Wanna check it out?"

A similarly excited smile crossed the girl's face. "Hell yeah," the flute player replied, before both kids scampered over to their desk out in the reading area.

Pulling up chairs side by side to each other, Naruto then opened up to the first few pages to see what this diary was all about. If luck was on their side today, maybe they'd managed to stumble across a hidden treasure trove of knowledge. Perhaps it was a book containing the Fourth Hokage's deepest, darkest secrets. Or maybe it was a journal containing some sort of special, forbidden jutsu he'd been working on in his last few years as village leader. Whatever the case, since this was written by one of the most legendary shinobi to ever come from the leaf, it had to be good.

With Tayuya sitting on his left and the little white fox Tama hopping up onto the table to sit by his right, Naruto began to read out loud.

" _May 12th, year XXXX. To all those who may be reading this journal, everything I am about to tell you is completely off the record and on a strictly need to know basis, as the following chapters are a firsthand account of all the hours leading up to and during my most recent S-Rank mission: File 56, Serial Number XX36999, Authorization Code: Seven, Priority One, Code Black, Operation:_ _ **Wind Blade**_ _. It was an assignment that was sent straight down to the Hokage from the daimyo himself; a job that would later involve an attack on multiple enemy and sovereign territories, the theft of an ancient celestial artefact, the elimination of a rogue S-Rank group, and the destruction of an entire landmass by a single, lone individual,"_ Naruto read, stopping for a moment to look across at Tayuya. When he saw the almost identical shocked expression she gave him in return, the blond gulped and nervously returned to the pages.

" _I know that the official report will have ninety percent of its content blacked out and its status written as 'completed', as the details pertaining to the events are highly classified and not meant for public ears. But this particular incident is something that I feel has to be told in some way… to let the world know what really happened that day… and the actual events that transpired. So I'm writing this journal to tell everyone the truth…"_ There was a big break in the page where nothing was said for the next couple of paragraphs. However, after moving down the paper some more, Naruto and Tayuya came across two lone words that stood out above all the rest.

They were words that reverberated through their heads all the way to the deepest, darkest parts of their minds, like the chime of a bell being struck by a large, metal hammer.

" _That we failed."_

Tayuya looked across at Naruto. "Failed? What the heck does that mean?"

"I think it means that he the Fourth… my dad … wasn't able to complete the mission. That he and whoever was sent with him on that assignment weren't able to finish it," Naruto replied, looking just as confused by the words himself.

However, upon thinking about it some, both kids soon came to realize that this book… this journal, for all intents and purposes, was one long, incredibly detailed confession compiled into a full-length, chapter-based story; one that the Fourth Hokage himself was unable to tell in his report. It was something that he could only write out in a single, uncensored and untainted recount, out of sight of the administration and the village council.

Of all the great documents that they could've happened upon in this library, this was the last thing that Naruto and Tayuya expected to come across.

So, bracing themselves for the events to come, the blond turned the page and kept on reading.

The next body of text quickly confirmed their suspicions. " _This was probably the first mission in my entire career that I was unable to complete… and probably the first fight that I'd ever lost… decisively."_ Naruto and Tayuya blinked when they saw the man actually laugh in his hand-writing. _"Ha-ha… you know, it's funny… out of all the impossible jobs that I'd taken in my career thus far… the one that I managed to fail, I actually walked away from with my life… and against the most amazing and most terrifying opponent of all."_ There was another break before Minato continued his account. _"In my time as a ninja, I'd come to believe that each and every generation of shinobi has had at least one monster that was hated, scorned and feared by all the nations and villages of the world in their respective eras. During the Sage of Six Paths time, there was the host of the winged beast Satori. For Hashirama Senju, there was the scourge of the hidden villages Madara Uchiha. For Tobirama Senju, there was the 'Gold and Silver Brothers' Ginkaku and Kinkaku. And for the Legendary Sannin, the one that immortalized their names in the history books was Hanzo Hattori of the Salamander, 'The Rain Demon'_. _"_

" _But for my generation… there was one ninja that we faced that was known and feared across the entire mainland… and whose name will be forever grained into my memories. Comparing this person's strength, skills and accomplishments to the ninja of my era, as well as with the records of legendary shinobi and Hokage of the past… I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this person surpassed both Madara and Lord Hashirama by an impossibly wide margin."_ As Naruto and Tayuya gaped in amazement, the pair continued to read the diary written by the blonde's father, where they quickly saw the story get back on track. _"With tensions between the five great shinobi nations on the rise, all of us knew it was only a matter of time before the world spiralled into yet another international conflict. As a Jonin serving in Konoha's regular forces at the time, I along with Mikoto and Kushina were officially assigned to the position as the village's elite first responders. The three of us were on standby the day we received word that the Fire Daimyo had been attacked…"_

XXX

(14 Years Ago)

(Night)

With the sun setting over the horizon and marking the end of another uneventful day, the people in the capital city of _Hi no Kuni_ (Land of Fire) started turning in for the night. While the streets surrounding the Fire Daimyo's castle were still gleaming with life as young men and women flocked to the night clubs and bars for drinks, the majority of the town was quiet. Of course, with most of the people off the roads and indoors, those who were still working, transporting goods on foot or on horseback, had a much smoother and easier route of travel.

Up in the daimyo's estate, things were completely calm and silent. The only people that could be seen walking around were the royal guard, consisting of spearmen and archers. Defenses at the front were incredibly light, with only a couple of men on watching the road in and around the property.

Both adorned in blue robes with green vests, armor plating and helmets, with a red kanji symbol for 'Fire' stamped on their chests, the two men stared tiredly out over the village in front of them. Looking as though they were about to fall asleep, they barely even acknowledged the waves they received from the four archers patrolling the perimeter wall above them, with the two men on the left stopping to converse with one another.

With the crickets in the daimyo's garden chirping merrily away and the candle lamps along the footpaths flickering away in the night air, everything seemed normal.

But then, just as archers on the wall were starting another uneventful, routine patrol of the area, the sound of a stiff breeze suddenly wafted over the wall. A split second later the two archers standing on the far left wall, still talking casually with one another, had their heads lopped off.

As their bodies crumpled to the walkway on top of the wall and their heads dropped to the garden, a third archer patrolling the far end of the wall on the right-hand side of the gate lost his head as well. Seeing his friend's head fly off from several yards away, the fourth archer gasped before quickly swinging his bow out and drawing an arrow from his quiver.

Just as he was clumsily fitting it into the string, the guard suddenly saw a flash of light in the night air in front of him, followed shortly by a massive Fuma Shuriken that came flying right at him. Just like the others his head was also sliced clean from his shoulders, with the massive weapon flying back into the darkness.

The two spearmen had no idea what was going on until the last archer's body tumbled off of the wall and crashed to the road with a loud thud. The moment their eyes snapped towards the sound, four kunai suddenly flew out of the shadows and struck one of the spearmen in the chest and face. As soon as his body dropped to the floor the second guard was also hit in the chest, his strength leaving him instantly as he dropped to his knees with a gasp of a horror.

Clutching the blades impaling his chest as blood began leaking out, the man suddenly looked up. When he did, he suddenly saw a figure land on the ground directly in front of him. Eyes traveling up the stranger, the guard saw black sandals, a pair of grey camo pants, black shinobi vest with red trim, black shirt with red trim, and the face of a twenty year old man with green short hair, a goatee, and wearing a black turban.

On the vest the man was wearing, the wounded guard saw the symbol of a red shuriken emblazoned on it. It was an insignia which immediately had his eyes widen in shock before the soldier yelled at the top of his lungs.

"CRIMSON STA-!" He was unable to finish his cry of warning when the assassin, smirking broadly, held up the massive folded up Fuma Shuriken in his hand like a sword and, with a single swing, used it to decapitate his target.

As the guard's head went tumbling down the road and his body fell to the ground, the turban-wearing assassin at the gate was joined by three more figures, two female and one other male, and all of them were dressed identically to one another, with only a few notable exceptions.

Next to the man with the moss colored hair and turban was a young woman who stood a foot taller than her male counterpart, with a black checkered pattern tattooed across her nose, orange eyes, and long green hair tied into a high ponytail by a big red bow. Behind her was the second male, who had his shoulder-length orange hair tied into a topknot and had a shuriken mark tattooed on both his cheeks. The last female was a tanned woman with orange hair styled into ox horns with red ribbons and had a black mole under her right eye.

All four of them were each armed with the same collapsible 'Shadow Windmill' Fuma Shuriken, only these ones weren't like the ordinary weapons. Each of the four curved blades on the star was over four feet long and were attached to a large metal ring that went around a katana-like handle. When folded up it transformed the four bladed shuriken into a single-bladed broadsword. When unfolded, the diameter of the Shuriken was wider than a full-grown adult was tall, allowing the user to defend themselves from all sides easily.

With the guards dispatched, the four ninja armed with the Fuma Shuriken approached the gate where, after inspecting it, their tallest member approached it and "knocked".

Her definition of knocking was pretty much draw her Fuma, unfold it and, after the blades started spinning like a buzz saw, sliced right through the wooden door in a big 'X'. She then kicked at the gate and smashed it to pieces, sending debris pelting across the daimyo's garden, effectively removing the one real obstacle standing in their path.

The four assassins then casually strolled their way across the front yard of the estate, heading towards the mansion standing in the middle of the property. When they made it halfway up the footpath, eleven shadows suddenly darted down at them from the surrounding trees, eight of them leaping into the air above them and unleashing a hail of kunai.

Expecting the attack, the two orange haired assassins snapped open their Fuma blades and, spinning them like propellers, effortlessly knocked all the kunai thrown at them. In the meantime the man in the turban snapped open his Fuma and threw it, sending it on a boomerang path around their group and knocking the eight airborne shadows out of the sky.

A split second later after the sparks stopped flying and the Fuma Blade returned to its owner, the eleven shadows surrounded the four intruders and assumed fighting stances.

The group surrounding the intruders were a group of seven shinobi and four kunoichi, all of whom were dressed differently, but all of them were wearing the same grey sashes around their waists with the same red emblem on them. It was this kanji mark for 'Fire' surrounded by a red circle that connected the eleven individuals to the same group, and as they started drawing their main weapons and forming hand seals for jutsu, the four assassins quickly recognized who all of them were.

The leader of the eleven shinobi, a tall, bald man wearing a monk's uniform and wielding a string of prayer beads like a lasso, frowned when he recognized the four ninja arranged into a defensive circle in the middle of the road. "That emblem on your vests… you are Mei, San, Yu and Shen Fuma of the _Crimson Stars_."

"The brother and sister gang from the main branch of the Fuma Clan?" the kunoichi on the bald man's right spoke in surprise. "Aren't all of them classified as S-Ranked criminals with a bounty of twenty five million ryo on each of their heads?"

Shen, the man in the turban, grinned broadly as he and his "siblings" kept their eyes on the men and women surrounding them. "The very same." His gaze darting between the eleven guards carefully, a dry chuckle then left his lips. "I take it from the sashes around your waists that you lot are the current members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, assigned to protect the daimyo and his interests." He then nodded to the monk in front of him, "Judging from your broad stature, spiritual garb and bead whip, you must be the leader of the group Nanashi of the Fire Temple. I must say your reputation precedes you, sir."

"As does yours, Shen; _Blade of the North Star_ ," the monk replied, his grip tightening around his length of prayer beads, which then let off a crack of lightning. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit this fine evening?"

Mei, the tallest member of the four assassins, chuckled as she craned her head towards the eleven ninja, "We heard that there was an open house exhibit at the daimyo's mansion and decided to come check out some of the antiques on display." She then nodded towards the mansion behind the wall of defenders. "You boys wouldn't happen to have a tour map that we could borrow, would you?"

"Well, I don't know what you four have heard, but there is no open house exhibit here… or anywhere in this town," Nanashi spoke, bringing his chain of beads around and whipping it through the air. At the same time he fed lightning style chakra through the weapon, which caused it to extend like a bolt and cut through several trees and boulders, sending the top halves of them dropping to the ground. When the chain of beads whipped back to its owner, the monk caught it and brandished it in an intimidating manner. "Now if it isn't too much trouble, we would kindly like to ask you to leave."

"And if we don't?" the girl with the ox horn hair style, Yu, asked with a cheerful smile.

"Then we will be forced to take extreme measures," the kunoichi from before, armed with two daggers and an interlocking chain, spoke in a firm voice. "Even the four of you are no match for the full strength of the Twelve Guardian Ninja."

"Oh. That sounds like a challenge," the man with the shuriken tattoos on his cheeks, San, said with a wide grin, at the same time tapping the dull edge of his folded-up Fuma against his shoulder.

Shen, also smirking broadly, craned his head around the twelve defenders. "As much as we would like to test that theory…" He then turned his gaze skywards. "I'm afraid our boss has called first dibs."

Blinking in confusion, the eleven miscellaneous shinobi and kunoichi looked up into the clouds as well. There, silhouetted against the moon, they saw the cloaked form of a fifth unknown individual floating a kilometer above the village.

As soon as they were spotted, the shadow in the sky then dove down towards the castle at several times the speed of sound and dropped right into the middle of the daimyo's courtyard. The newcomer landed with a loud thud and a gust of wind, which knocked all eleven ninja stumbling back a few feet. When all eyes turned to face the hooded figure and saw them rise up to full height in the middle of the four intruders, all expressions immediately turned to shock when they saw the person pull away the hood ever so slightly, revealing soft cheeks, a sliver of ghostly blonde hair, and a devilish grin.

Sweat trickling down his bald head, Nanashi took a step back and whispered, " _The Wind Demon_ … Kotaro Fuma." Several seconds of shaking later, his fingers massaging his beaded weapon in a praying manner, the monk then gritted his teeth and bellowed. "Guardians! Where there is light!"

" _ **There is hope!"**_ the other ten shinobi and kunoichi yelled in unison.

"Where there is fire!"

" _ **There is life!"**_

"For it is fire that is the beating heart and soul of civilization! And when darkness threatens to extinguish this flame!"

" _ **It is those chosen to carry it that shall keep it alight!"**_

"We are the Twelve Guardian Ninja! The best of the best chosen to protect all the little fires in this nation and keep them safe from harm!" Nanashi yelled, lighting chakra now coursing down his string of beads that he then snapped out and held tight in front of him. Upon which he then whipped it through the air and struck the earth with a deafening crack of thunder. "Hold your courage steady, men! And protect your daimyo!"

With a combined war cry, the twelve guardian ninja then sprang into attack, some holding back and unleashing a barrage of long range attacks, while the rest charged in to attack the hooded figure.

The second they rushed in to attack, a massive explosion of wind suddenly ripped across the garden, sending a mushroom cloud of dust and debris shooting high into the atmosphere…

XXX

(A few minutes later)

The Fire Daimyo, a middle aged man with dark brown hair in a white sleeping kimono and blue obi, scrambled backwards across the tatami mats of his living room on his hands and back. His breathing rapid and expression reflecting nothing but fear, the man looked towards the sliding entrance of his lounge to see the cloaked figure of Fuma Kotaro and his four minions standing directly behind him.

Sweat trickling down his face, the leader of the nation gave a loud gulp before speaking in a whimpering voice. "P-Please. Please don't hurt me. I-I'll give you anything… anything you want! Money! Gold! Diamonds! The clothes off my back!" His eyes then widened when he saw the hooded figure march forward and, when they came to within a few feet of him, he scrambled away even faster. "Gah! W-W-What do you want from me?"

The leader of the intruders said nothing as he continued to amble towards the terrified lord. It wasn't long before the daimyo's back eventually hit the side of his living room table and, unable to move past it, could only cower in fear as the hooded individual leaned forward and smiled from under the veil of his cloak.

The four members of his gang meanwhile spread themselves out across the room, with Shen moving to inspect some of the fine china sitting in the corner cabinet while the incredibly tall Mei crossed her arms and leaned quietly against a wall.

Moments later, the gang leader spoke.

"Nothing much," Kotaro said in a soft, feminine sounding voice that had the shivering daimyo stop and stare in shock. Seeing they had the ruler's attention, the blonde haired intruder tilted his head curiously, "All I want to know is where you're keeping the _Hoju_ _Stone_."

The fire daimyo blinked in shock, "Th-The Hoju Stone?"

Kotaro nodded in response, "Yes; the tiny little bauble that the ruling family of the _Land of Fire_ has passed down from one generation to the next for the last thousand years. _That_ stone." The hooded figure moved in closer, causing the old lord to jump slightly with fright. "I want you to tell me exactly where you're hiding it inside your humble home."

"H-H-How do you know about that stone?" the daimyo stammered while his body started shaking again.

At this, Kotaro smiled mischievously. "That's not important." The man then straightened up and towered over the lord curled up on the floor at his feet. "Ever since your ancestors acquired it from a monk traveling here from the eastern continent, they transformed it into a precious family heirloom, and have been using it as part of the daimyo inauguration ceremony. Almost every single one of your predecessors has held the stone at least once in their lifetimes… and now it's been passed on to _you_." When Kotaro saw the daimyo give a nervous nod of understanding, the hooded man then nodded. "It's a simple request. If you tell me what I need to know, I promise that neither my gang nor I will lay a finger on you or the rest of your family. You have my word."

Gulping, the terrified old man's eyes then shifted across his living room towards a length of drawers and shelves resting against the far wall. When Kotaro and his gang members looked, they saw a bunch of photographs, painting and ornaments of an oriental nature lined up and on display. It was there, sitting right in the center of the main cabinet, propped up on a wooden stand, they saw an old, gold encrusted jewelry box with a lock on it, sitting directly underneath the _Land of Fire's_ Emblem.

Immediately upon spotting it, Kotaru Fuma's grin broadened, before they turned and marched right over to it. Stopping in front of the cabinet, the cloaked figure then reached forward and, after momentarily picking the lock with a hairpin, unlocked the chest and opened it. When the leader's subordinates and the daimyo watched the hooded figure peer inside the box, they were unable to see Fuma's expression light up with delight.

Sitting inside the cushions of the chest, there was a single rock. Slightly smaller than a golf ball, the rock was a dark, crimson red in color, with odd swirl patterns covering it resembling flames. What's more, the rock was of an unusual shape, almost resembling a flower bud, with grooves in its surface resembling overlapping petals.

As soon as his eyes landed on the rock, Kotaro reached in and picked it up, where he then held it up and proceeded to inspect the unassuming item.

Several seconds of waiting later and the people in the room watched the gang leader turn and smile.

"At first I didn't think it was possible. But after seeing it up close, I know now that the legend is true," Kotaru Fuma informed before stashing the rock inside of his cloak and out of sight.

Appearing both nervous and confused, the Fire Daimyo gulped, "W-What do you intend to do with it?"

Smirking, the cloaked bandit then ambled towards the lord, during which time he then pulled a grungy, folded up old piece of parchment from his pocket. When Kotaro unfolded it, he then showed the daimyo a faded old picture of Buddhist deity, sitting cross-legged atop a nimbus at the very top of a mountain overlooking a country. While the deity's left hand was formed into a prayer symbol, in its right hand sat a glowing ornament, consisting of a golden lotus cradle and three stones sitting on top of it surrounded by red flames.

All around the picture was a series of scribbles and writing in a language that the daimyo did not recognize, but it was something that Kotaro had no trouble in understanding.

"The Hoju Stone is one of four pieces of an ancient celestial artifact that, when brought together, forms what the people of the mysterious continent called the _**Cintamani**_ , otherwise known as the 'Wish Fulfilling Jewel'," Kotaro said, causing the daimyo's eyes to widen in surprise. Folding the paper back up and returning it to his cloak, the bandit smiled confidently. "This jewel, held by the Goddess of Fortune Kichijōten herself, had the ability to cure all ailments and quell all sufferings in life, as it was able to grant the wishes of any person who held it. The Gods and Goddesses of the primordial era used it to create and shape the laws of good fortune and prosperity that we humans rely on today, forming what would become known as the building blocks for agriculture and civilization."

Smirking on his corner of the room, San spoke to the daimyo in a blithe like manner. "Basically it grants the wielder of the jewel absolute power… the ability to shape and change the world however they see fit."

"It was said that the jewel was stolen by a benevolent fox spirit over a millennia ago and fell into the hands of the monks in a mountain temple. Through an ancient sealing ritual, they separated the jewel into four parts and sent them to the far side of the globe; to a place out of reach of the greed and desires of man. The pieces came here, to _this_ continent, where the people unfamiliar with the heavenly artifact would be unable to use the jewel for their own selfish gains," Kotaro informed, before crossing his arms and raising his head high. "Fortunately for me I understand their language… but more importantly I _know_ how to recreate the jewel and use it. The first part of the jewel was hidden here, in your palace… and now it belongs to me. The second one I know is in _Iwagakure_ , resting in the pool surrounding the village's _Stone Monument_ pedestal, put there by the First Tsuchikage himself."

The fire daimyo, overwhelmed by the information he was hearing, then shook his head, "Why are you telling me all of this?"

Wielding complete control over the situation, the hooded bandit leader leant forward and, in a hushed voice, spoke to the man. "I want you to deliver a message to _Konohagakure_ for me. I want you to tell the Hokage to send his finest and most powerful shinobi and kunoichi after me, and for you to inform the rest of the world of what I'm trying to accomplish." His leer only seemed to increase with his next words. "I want you to try and stop me from achieving my goal." When he lifted his head, the leader of the group revealed a yellow eye shimmering with excitement through the shadow of his veil. "After all, as the world's greatest thief, it would be meaningless for me to follow-through with this quest without some sort of challenge. That is why _you_ are going to give it to me."

The fire daimyo was stunned. Unable to say anything or fully comprehend what the greatest thief and mercenary of all time was asking of him, all the old man could do was gape and nod dumbly.

With prize in hand, Kotaro was then all set to leave. But just before he or his four men could turn to head off, the sound of patting footsteps and the jangle of rings drew their attention to the living room entrance. When they looked, they saw a young boy of around fourteen years old, with short black spike hair, dressed in a brown tunic, dark green pants, sandals, wearing a red headband, and was armed with a shakujo with three golden rings dangling at the end.

The moment the group noticed the kid standing in the living room entrance, the fire daimyo stammered in disbelief, "K-Kazuma-kun?"

Spinning his staff around and holding it behind him, the young Chunin and Guardian Ninja glared daggers at the group of bandits standing before him. "You five are trespassing on my lord's property. I'm sorry to say, but none of you are leaving this place alive! That I can promise you!"

Hearing the kid's gutsy exclamation put grins on the four Fuma clan members' faces, with Yu letting out a giggle of amusement. "Aww… how precious."

"You've got guts, kid. I can say that much," Shen spoke while swinging his folded up Fuma Shuriken back and forth in a taunting fashion. "But unless you want to end up like your comrades outside, I recommend that you stand down and let us pass."

This statement had the young Kazuma look up with a start, "W-What… what happened to my friends?"

"Oh? The others?" San spoke while reaching up to scratch one of his shuriken tattoos. "Not sure… but I bet that none of them are doing too well at the moment."

Eyes reflecting a sense of horror and disbelief when he saw the menacing grins on the invading group's faces, a trembling Kazuma then gritted his teeth and, with a howl of rage, rushing forward. Darting right past Shen, who didn't do anything to stop him, the boy ran right at the leader of the group in the cloak, who was standing just a few feet away from the fire daimyo. He sprang from the floor and, spinning his shakujo overhead, swung it straight down at the hooded figure.

Just before the boy's weapon could strike Kotaro over the head, a flash of a blade suddenly shot out from under the mercenary's cloak and intercepted the staff. A loud clang rang out and sparks flew as Kazuma's weapon was knocked back by a streak of light from an attack that was too fast to see, stunning the boy before he was suddenly grabbed by the throat. Gasping in shock as the man he was trying to attack held him above the ground, he was then effectively throttled into submission, his legs flailing about in the air uselessly and his hands moving to claw at the fingers now crushing his windpipe. The act of which caused him to drop his shakujo, which clattered to the floor loudly.

Holding the boy in place for a moment, the Fuma Gang leader turned and, without hesitation, drove the boy straight into the ground, cracking the floorboards with his impact and several of his bones. Spitting up blood, Kazuma's strength left him completely as a dull numbness shot through his body; his arms and legs going limp, and his eyes staring up at the figure now towering over him.

After several seconds of lying there on the floor, his mind close to passing out, the defeated Chunin then choked out in confusion. "W-Why don't you just… kill me?"

Kotaro didn't say anything for several seconds. But after hearing Kazuma's question, the figure then reached up and removed the cloak. When the man tossed it aside and revealed the person hiding underneath, the young guardian's eyes went wide in shock.

Standing over him wasn't some tall and imposing man with long hair and a beard, but a tall, enchanting young woman with a curvy figure, ample chest, and ghost blonde hair tied into a high knot ponytail, with long bangs growing down the sides of her face in a hime style cut. Accentuating her fit, hourglass figure, she also wore a loose, long and elegant purple kimono, decorated with red trim, and pink and golden flowers. Held up by a golden obi, the top rode down her arms, showing off her neck, shoulders, and her bountiful cleavage. She was also noticeably bare foot and, on the back of her kimono, she had a large red Fuma Shuriken emblazoned on it.

Her face was the most enchanting aspect of her person; soft cheeks, sharp chin and sharp golden eyes, emphasized by black eyelashes. She also had a single beauty mark, a black dot, right under her left eye.

After revealing her true self to the young man on the floor, Kotaro Fuma leaned over, inadvertently presenting a less than modest view of her perfectly round breasts, and grinned at the child.

"I don't kill shinobi or kunoichi who aren't strong enough to give me a challenge," she replied, before lifting a finger and poking the barely conscious boy on the nose. "Consider yourself lucky, sweetheart."

Moments later Kazuma blacked out, his eyes closing and head rolling to the side.

Point made, Kotaro stood up, running a hand up her exposed leg and flashing what looked like a series of black blades, which ran all the way around the inside of her kimono. With a sashay of her hips, she then turned and began to amble out of the room, at the same time giving a cheerful wave to the still terrified daimyo.

"Don't forget my message," she sung, before bidding her four subordinates to follow her, which they did.

Upon exiting the living room, they left an unconscious Kazuma lying on the cracked floor and a terrified fire daimyo, who was now doing everything he could to keep from fainting.

A couple minutes later, as Kotaro Fuma and her comrades descended the front steps of the fire lord's mansion, the leader took a moment to inspect the prize in her possession. Running her thumb over the grooves of the gold ball sized rock, the deadly beauty then stopped when she heard her lieutenant Mei speak.

"Are you positive that that is the genuine stone, Kotaro-sensei?"

Smile widening, the blond glanced across at the taller, green haired woman before holding up the stone and speaking a single word. _**"Jiēshì."**_ (Reveal) The act of which suddenly caused the grooves and etchings in the stone to light up gold and radiate with an ethereal glow that had Kotaro's four subordinates stare in awe.

Holding it up, she then waved it in the air in front of her, "This little one will help guide us to the remaining three pieces. Right now we have the Buddha stone. Next we're going after the Dharma stone, then the Sangha stone, and after that we just need to find the lotus cradle that holds all three of them together…" Pocketing the glowing artifact, she then continued down the steps to the path that would lead them off of the daimyo's property. "And I have a good idea where to find it."

As her four students and comrades marched after her across the garden, they passed through a scene of complete and utter carnage. Not only was there a sizable, glass filled crater about five hundred yards across that had been burned into the very middle of the courtyard, but all the trees in the area had either been incinerate or sliced to pieces, massive boulders were lying all over the place, the ground had split from the west wall all the way to the east wall, leaving a large chasm in the middle of the estate, and there was blood splattered all over the place.

What's more, the broken and battered bodies of the eleven other members of the Twelve Guardian Ninja were lying scattered all over the place. Two of whom Kotaro and her men stepped over, who were lying with shuriken riddling their backs. Four others, also impaled by shuriken with massive scars running all over their bodies like they'd been pushed through a meat slicer, were scattered across the decimated garden, while another two had Fuma Shuriken lodged in their sides. The remaining three, including the leader Nanashi, were hanging unconscious and crucified against the far wall several feet above the ground, their limbs held up by huge Fuma Shuriken keeping them in place.

Blood pooling around their bodies, the eleven individual guardians all groaned and writhed helplessly on the ground, indicating they were still alive but in a very bad way.

Hearing the group's pained sounds echo across the quad had Kotaro shake her head exasperatedly. "Oh, stop moaning. You'll live."

After which she and her Crimson Star gang left the estate, disappearing down the street and into the night.

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	2. The Hunt Arc - Chasing Wind

**NARUTO:** **MAOYŪ**

 ** _The Wind Demon_**

 _Chasing Wind_

(The next morning)

(Konohagakure)

Up in the _Hokage Tower_ , an urgent meeting had been called by Hiruzen Sarutobi for all the Jonin in the immediate area to assemble in his office. Due to the manner and haste in which he'd summoned all of them in the waking hours of the day, all of the troops that had arrived could tell that the message he had to share with them was both urgent and sensitive. This much was clear by how they'd all been given strict instructions to keep this meeting hush and out of the public circle, so as to not cause an uproar within the village.

So far a great number of Konoha's Jonin had gathered in Hiruzen's office, with the Third himself looking over the contingent with his fingers laced together and a parchment rolled up in front of him. As his eyes panned across the crowd, the old man was able to make out Minato Namikaze, Shibi Aburame, Choza Akimichi, Hizashi Hyuuga, Gaku Inuzuka with his ninken companion, Shikaku Nara, and several other figures of note from various other clans standing at ease in front of him, all dressed in the standard issue uniforms and bearing their village's headband.

Seeing that he had their full and undivided attention, the old leader of leaf cleared his throat and spoke in a gruff tone of voice, "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I'm sorry if my message may have seemed a bit sudden, but I wouldn't have called all of you up here if this wasn't imperative."

"What's the news, Hokage-sama?" the scar-faced Shikaku spoke as he kept his hands firmly rested on his hips, at the same time eyeing the scroll rolled up in front of Hiruzen. Since it was the only document currently visible on his desk and that it was emblazoned with the emblem and signature of their nation's daimyo, the man knew right away that their presence here was all because of that.

Lowering his hand, Hiruzen then took hold of the scroll in front of him and gripped it tightly. "Though not all of you are here, I'm sure you'll be able to inform the others in due course. I'm afraid this can't wait any longer than it already has." The Sarutobi then held up the correspondence and showed all the Jonin present the crest. "Just a few minutes ago I received an urgent message from the daimyo's palace over in the capital. It says that their lord had just been attacked and raided by the _Crimson Star_ gang." His eyes narrowed seriously at the next bit of information. "Fuma Kotaro was with them."

This announcement had every single jaw in the room drop as all the Jonin were now staring at the Third Hokage in shock; this being the last thing they expected to hear from him on such a peaceful morning. Though it took a few moments for some of the men and women to process this statement, several others were quick to get their heads back into the discussion and got right down to business.

"Kotaro of the Windmill Blade?" Shibi Aburame asked with a notable glimmer of nervousness. "The three time S-Rank criminal with a one-hundred million double ryo bounty on her head?"

"The most dangerous missing-nin in the bingo book to date," Minato whispered to himself as an image of the woman's profile appeared in his head; details and all. Just imagining the silver haired, smug and demonic looking kunoichi sent a chill down his spine.

"What was she doing mounting an attack on the nation's capital?" Hizashi Hyuuga asked, not quite comfortable with where this conversation was going.

"According to the daimyo, Kotaro has discovered clues to unlocking an antediluvian artifact called the _**Cintamani**_ … or _Wish Fulfilling Jewel_ in the common tongue. Based on what Kotaro personally disclosed to him at the mansion, it's an ancient jewel that predates the Sage of Six Paths by over a thousand years, and originated from the continents across the sea to the east. Apparently the pieces of this artifact were scattered across our land centuries ago, but when brought together can grant the wielder of the jewel any wish they desire," Hiruzen informed gravely, causing the expressions of his Jonin to reflect an even greater sense of disbelief. Setting the scroll back down in front of him, the Third Hokage continued. "From this information alone we can tell that the situation is bleak. If this relic were to fall into the wrong hands, it has the power to cause chaos and strife on an unprecedented level… turmoil not seen in our world for over a millennia."

"And apparently Fuma Kotaro has figured out how to retrieve it," Choza Akimichi spoke, beads of sweat running down his face as his thoughts on the situation went rampant. "As if she wasn't dangerous enough already…"

As a tense silence fell over every single man and woman in the room, the unshaken form of Minato then stepped forward and stood tall before the elder in the chair. "What is it that you request of us, Hokage-sama?"

Turning to face the young Jonin, along with the shinobi stationed behind him, Hiruzen considered the blond male seriously for a moment. Upon which he then spoke, "Fuma Kotaro's actions threaten to incite war between the hidden villages and upset the balance of peace in our land. Since the daimyo has sent the word out to the other feudal lords informing them of this incident, it is likely that the other nations will also be gathering their forces to hunt down Kotaro and the _Crimson Stars_." He then turned his attention to the majority of the agents in his room. "We should now be preparing for the worst. That is why I am ordering all of you to gather our troops and entrench them along our borders. Prepare for an attack."

Gaku Inuzuka raised an eyebrow, "But… from where, sir?"

"Anywhere. Since Fuma Kotaro is involved, there is no telling what she will do next or what village will step on the chance to go after her, so we need to make sure our village is ready for whatever comes first," the Hokage informed. After which he then reached into the desk and handed Shikaku another scroll; one that he had pre-written months in advance. "These are your orders. Have the Jonin and Chunin forces begin gathering equipment and supplies, and send word to the regular army to bring in the heavy artillery. I also want you to order the reserves to start shoring up the defenses around the village. I feel that this is going to be a very long week for all of us."

Nodding in understanding, the head of the Nara Clan began waving for the men and women in the office to head out. However, just as everyone started filing out into the corridor, Hiruzen's head then looked up and spoke.

"Not you, Minato. You stay." His call prompted the blond haired Jonin to stop in his tracks and turn back to face him. When the room emptied moments later, with Shikaku giving one last nod to the duo before he left, the village leader faced the Namikaze once again. "I have a different assignment for you… one that I'm very reluctant to give, but one that definitely needs to be done. I want you to take a squad of our best shinobi and go track down Fuma Kotaro and her associates."

At first appearing surprised, the blond adult then frowned. "I can guess that you have an idea of where she's headed to next."

"Yes," Hiruzen answered with a nod. "While Kotaro was in the process of raiding his home, the daimyo learned from her that the _Crimson Star_ 's next target was going to be _Iwagakure_. The group is planning on breaking into the village's _Stone Monument_ situated directly in the heart of the administration and academy district. The second piece to the wishing jewel is hidden there, in the fountain surrounding the pedestal."

This information caused Minato's brow to crease thoughtfully. "That's right in the heart of enemy territory. And Kotaro-san is planning on breaking into there?" Honestly, it didn't surprise him all that much. Considering that Fuma was regarded as the greatest thief on the continent with the moniker of _Kotaro the Untraceable_ , it was no stretch of the imagination to believe that she would actually be capable of slipping into the hidden village's most sacred of shrines and stealing one of their rock ornaments. The young Jonin looked up again. "What are your orders?"

The Hokage frowned, "Hunt down Fuma Kotaro and stop her by any means necessary. You cannot allow her to bring together the pieces of the _Cintamani_. If she does, it will mean the end of our world as we know it." He then raised a hand to stop the man when he saw he was about to speak. "Now bear in mind… Kotaro and her gang have defeated and killed every single bounty hunter, assassin and ninja sent after them, to the point that there isn't a single man or woman in the world willing to take on a mission where she's involved. That being said, there is a high chance that both you and your friends may be killed on this mission." When he brought his hands back together, Hiruzen stared at the blond with his serious and unmoving gaze. "Knowing that… are you still prepared to take on this assignment?"

It took a few seconds for Minato to think about it. But once that moment had passed a smile returned to his face, followed by a nod. "I am."

Sighing, Hiruzen then picked up the scroll sent to him by the daimyo and held it out to the Jonin, who didn't hesitate to take it. "All the details of your mission are in here." When Minato rolled it open to get a glimpse of the opening lines of text, the Third moved on to his next order of business. "You will take three of the best Jonin we have on this mission. I'll let you decide on who those three will be." When he noticed the glimmer of excitement flash through the blonde's eyes, Hiruzen's lips quirked. "I take it you already have someone in mind."

Minato chuckled, "Actually I do, sir."

OOO

(A few minutes later)

(Uchiha Clan District)

In the forest outside of the main compound, there sat a clearing surrounded by several large oaks and birches, all assembled into a wide circle. The sun's warm, morning light breaking through the canopy above illuminated the two figures standing in the middle of the area; a young woman with dark hair, wearing a skintight black uniform that accentuated the curves of her fit, hourglass figure, grey arm guards, shin guards, a _Konohagakure_ headband, and a red obi wrapped tightly around her waist, and a young boy of only three years old, wearing a faded navy colored shirt and brown shorts.

It was worth noticing that the young woman was fully geared up and blindfolded, indicating that she was attempting to perform an exercise that was both daring and dangerous. With the boy who was clearly her son standing nearby and watching her with the utmost intent, it was clear that he was completely invested in what she was planning to do.

He didn't have to wait long for it either.

Several seconds of standing silently in the middle of the clearing, the woman then crouched low and sprang high into the air. Her body transforming into a blur from the speed she reached, the Uchiha female suspended herself in the empty canopy where, after crossing her arms over her body and sending herself into a spin, a cluster of kunai appeared between her fingers. The moment they shot into her grip she then thrust her arms out, sending the blades shooting through the air to strike multiple targets fixed and scattered amongst the branches.

A series of sharp 'thunks' shortly followed as each and every one of the kunai hit their marks, dead-center and deep within each plank. She continued to do so even as she fell, hitting even more targets concealed behind the trees and in the forest several hundred yards away. Eventually after several graceful spins, twirls and tumble turns in midair, the young woman eventually touched down on the grassy floor, right on the spot where she'd been standing seconds earlier.

The moment she landed, the little boy standing nearby laughed and clapped his hands together excitedly. "Wow, mum! That was so cool! You hit every single one!"

Smiling as she rose up to full height, the woman removed her blindfold and looked around at her handiwork. After counting up her final score, Mikoto then turned back to her son. "52 for 52… easy. Looks like your mum's getting even better." She then reached down and ruffled the child's hair. "Think you'll be able to beat that one day, Itachi-kun?"

The boy then lightly pushed his fingers together and smiled nervously. "I… I'm not sure. But I will do my best."

Giggling happily, the mother rested her hands on her knees and beamed brightly down at her son. "Well, once you're old enough to hold a kunai, I'll be sure to give you as many lessons as you need. Okay?" Seeing the uncertain Itachi nod then prompted Mikoto to grin. "And who knows. Perhaps one of these days you'll become an even greater ninja then me."

"I'm sure he will." A new voice from the side suddenly drew the mother and son's attention to the edge of the clearing, where they saw the familiar face of Minato Namikaze smiling back at them. Arms crossed and leaning against a tree with his shoulder, the cool and enigmatic blond then stood off and approached the pair at a casual pace. "After all, he's your son. So there's a good chance he'll grow up to become an amazing shinobi."

The sight of the blond man from her class put a big smile on Mikoto's face, who then jogged over to the man with a spring in her step. "Minato-kun." She then threw her arms around the Jonin in a hug, one that reflected both a deep friendship and warmth. When she pulled away moments later, she grinned, "Wow. It's been a few weeks since you last came around this part of the woods. What's up?"

Minato then chanced a glance around the area, before then looking down to see Itachi walk up to his mum to tug on her pant leg. "Hokage-sama gave me a mission. Since you're one of the best kunoichi in the village and the sharpest hunter around, I wanted to see if you were interested in coming along."

"Mission?" Mikoto blinked while tilting her head up at the Jonin, "What kind of mission?"

"Well… it's pretty dangerous," Minato said, giving a shrug as he watched the raven haired young woman place her hands on her hips and take a step back. Seeing the look on her face was just daring him to bring on the details, the blond couldn't help but take the bait. "We're going after a person who is very bad, very smart and _very_ strong… and I'm not sure many of us are going to be coming back alive."

Raising an eyebrow at the man's words of warning, Mikoto then nodded to him. "You're the team leader?"

"Yep. Problem?"

"Nope. In fact…" the raven haired woman then grinned, "since you're the one asking for me, you pretty much sold it." She then raised her fist and bumped him in the chest. "I'm in."

OOO

(Several minutes later)

"Eh? You have a mission from the daimyo?" the voice of the red-headed beauty Kushina Uzumaki echoed through the small, second story house on the edge of the east side of Konoha; the home of Minato Namikaze and his family. Dressed in her orange shirt, blue short skirt, green apron, and a pair of purple indoor slippers, the young woman looked between the uniform clad Minato and Mikoto in surprise and confusion. "Does that mean you're going to have to cut and run… _now_?"

Expression remaining serious, the spiky haired Jonin stepped towards his wife and looked her right in the eye. "Yes. It's an S-Rank request straight down from the top, tagged as both classified and highly dangerous. The Hokage has instructed us to leave as soon as we are able to," Minato informed with as critical a tone as he could muster.

Still holding a freshly cleaned bowl in hand as she stood there in the corridor of their home, the normally rambunctious Kushina blinked as she stared back at her husband. "You just got off of completing an S-Rank job just a couple of weeks ago. Why do you have to take another one so soon?"

Minato raised his hands and rested them on her shoulders. "I wouldn't have accepted it if it wasn't important. And considering who is involved and exactly what is at stake, I was the only one capable of taking on a task like this."

Processing her lover's words then put an amused smile on Kushina's face. "There you go again. Spouting off heroic nonsense about how you're the only ninja in the village who can tackle this kind of assignment. It's almost like you're trying to act like a Hokage."

"W-Well…" Minato stammered a bit while looking away with a nervous smile, which earned an amused look from Mikoto. "I'd hate for any of my comrades to get hurt out there on the field. After all, this is a pretty big job. I doubt any of us will be returning home unscathed."

"Uh-huh," Kushina replied, obviously not quite believing him as she then craned her head to the side to give her best friend of many years a suspicious look. "Has he been ragging on like this for the last half hour?"

Mikoto sighed and smiled back at the jinchuriki, "He didn't stop until we reached the front door of your house." The blond Jonin responded to this with a sheepish chuckle and an embarrassed head scratch.

"Thought so," Kushina replied before then glancing back at her husband seriously. "I swear, dear, you can be so full of yourself sometimes. What exactly is this 'big' mission anyway?"

It was then the man's face steeled into one of complete seriousness. "I'm taking a squad to go hunt down a dangerous kunoichi… the bandit leader Kotaro Fuma," Minato informed.

The name of the target immediately had the wife's sassy expression vanish in an instant. "Kotaro? 'The Flying Ninja' Kotaro?" When she saw Minato nod, Kushina frowned worriedly. "Why are you going after her? Isn't she just a robber?"

"Not until a few hours ago," Minato said while looking at his wife seriously. "Last night Kotaro attacked the fire daimyo's castle and stole something incredibly valuable from him… something that can potentially lead to the destruction of our world." When he said this he saw Kushina's expression immediately transform into one of shock, which had the blond ninja clench his fists. "During the raid she defeated the Twelve Guardian Ninja single-handedly and with ease. From what I heard… they were lucky to even survive."

"That's insane," Kushina spoke, lowering her dish and taking an anxious step towards her husband. "Not even _you_ can face the Twelve Guardian Ninja and come out of that battle without losing a limb or two. How the hell do you expect to take on someone who can do that on their own without receiving a scratch?"

"Well, I'm sure I'll be able to figure out some way," Minato informed, his expression remaining unchanged. "I just need to find two more members for my team. After that we'll be going after them."

Kushina didn't say anything for the moment, only continuing to stare at her husband with a worried glint in her eyes. After several seconds she then turned to see the resolute look on Mikoto's face, the gutsy redhead giving a stiff nod before hastily removing her apron. She then turned and marched into their house.

"I'm coming with you."

The blond Jonin balked at this statement. "What? B-But…"

"Look, if you're going after the most dangerous and wanted criminal in the bingo book, and you intend to capture them dead or alive, then you're going to need a jinchuriki on your team," Kushina stated, glancing over her shoulder as she proceeded to remove her shirt. The sight of the woman disrobing in the hallway in front of them had both Minato and Mikoto glance away with red faces. "It's also been a few weeks since my last S-Rank assignment. So like it or not, I'm going with you on this mission."

Her husband then chuckled and smiled warmly at her, "I was going to ask you to come along anyway." His response put a smile back on the Uzumaki's face, who then disappeared into her room to finish getting dressed.

Hearing Minato breathe a sigh of relief prompted Mikoto to look across at the man with a smirk, at the same time heft the yumi she had slung over her shoulder and the quiver of arrows at her side. "She can be one hell of a fire cracker, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Minato laughed, at the same time reaching up to massage the back of his head. "When she has her mind set on something, there's not a force in the world that can stop her. But that's one of the things I love most about her."

The Uchiha wife then reached up and bumped him in the shoulder, "For the strongest shinobi in _Konohagakure_ , you can be such a pushover."

"That title is still yet to be decided!" Kushina's voice echoed out from the bedroom a few meters ahead, putting a wide grin on Mikoto's face and drawing another laugh from Minato.

OOO

(Twenty minutes later)

Further into the village, outside a bar situated within the entertainment district, a very large and famous figure was presently sitting on the bench under the veranda. Dressed in red wooden sandals, green gi, fishnet sleeves and leggings, signature red vest and Sage headband, the white-haired form of Jiraiya of the Sannin was enjoying the peace of the morning and indulging in a nice hot pot of green tea. Having already filled up on a breakfast of rice porridge earlier in the morning, the man was now spending his time in silent contemplation, while also enjoying the views and the atmosphere around him.

"Hn… what a beautiful morning," the large, middle-aged shinobi chuckled as he looked up at the clear blue sky above and saw the wisps of cloud drifting overhead.

Though he had heard of the ruckus that was going on up in the Hokage's office, he hadn't bothered to go and investigate. After all it was probably business involving some sort of upcoming event or festival, which obviously didn't interest the legendary ninja in any way. He just wanted to kick back, relax, and let whatever it was biting the village blow over.

"Perhaps I can use this weekend to continue working on my next book," Jiraiya murmured to himself while scratching his chin thoughtfully. He then set his cup down and breathed a heavy sigh of disappointment. "But at this time of the day there aren't any beautiful babes taking a bath in the hot springs… or any frolicking by the lake. So where can I possibly go to get inspiration for my next big project?"

"You could get off your butt and go do some actual work," the snippy voice of Kushina suddenly spoke up from behind.

A smile appearing on his face at the sound of somebody familiar, Jiraiya then turned to face the woman. "Oh yeah. And what could I possibly accomplish frooo-He-He-HELLOOOOO!" His mood then did a complete 180 upwards when his eyes fell upon not one, but two lovely ladies standing directly behind him. Blown away by the sight of the beautiful, uniform clad kunoichi, the Sannin's gaze panned over both Kushina and Mikoto, before then falling upon the latter in her skintight body suit. Immediately upon seeing the Uchiha woman's curves framed and on full display, the man wheeled around on his bench and flared his nostrils. "Why, good morning, Mikoto-chan! Boy are you looking especially ravishing today."

While Minato chuckled at his master's typical reaction, Kushina and Mikoto gave him identical, dead-panned, less-than-amused expressions.

"Gross," the redhead whispered, while Mikoto remained as composed and silent as she could.

Leaning forward while analyzing the Uchiha's body, a lecherous grin slowly spread over Jiraiya's face. "Mmm… I don't think I've ever seen you in this kind of outfit before." He then placed his hand on his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully, at the same time slowly and very discreetly moving closer to the kunoichi's chest. "Such a striking figure and bountiful bosom… definitely worthy of a more in-depth appraisal. Now, if I could just-" The Sannin then reached forward to try and touch her, only to suddenly have the sole of a sandal shoved into his face as Mikoto threw her leg up and began pushing the man back.

Considering how physically strong she was, the dark-haired woman had no problems in forcing the perverted Sage to a safer distance. While his hands clawed at the air uselessly in an attempt to catch her, Mikoto remained perfectly calm. "Hands off the merchandise, Jiraiya-sama. Unless you want me to kick your ass to the curb again."

As Jiraiya's face was comically flattened against the woman's sandal, an even more perverse and animalistic grin appeared on his lips. "Is that an option?"

"No," Mikoto muttered, before then shoving him back onto the table so that he was leaning against it with a shoeprint pressed into his mug.

Massaging his jaw, the old Sage smiled back at the team of Jonin assembled before him. "In all seriousness though, you all look incredibly spiffy. What's the occasion?"

"The Hokage has given us a job and we were hoping you would be able to come with us," Kushina replied, only to have her expression dip slightly into negativity. "Though after what just happened… I think I would rather ask somebody else." She then looked across at Minato thoughtfully. "Do you think Orochimaru would be available?"

"Now, now, Kushina, there's no need for that," Jiraiya chuckled while holding a hand out to the young redhead in front of him. "You know I don't mean anything by my actions. Besides… it's not my fault that your friend here wanted to dress up in such a spectacular and revealing uniform." He said while gesturing to the spandex wearing Mikoto with a wag of his eyebrows. "I'm certainly not complaining."

When everyone looked towards the Uchiha archer, the dark-haired kunoichi simply shrugged at them. "This was the uniform I wore the most when I was in the ANBU. I feel much more comfortable moving around on the field when I have less fabric hanging off of my body and getting in my way." She then looked down and patted the quiver strapped to her side. "Everything I'll need is right here on my person; including weapons, armor and supplies. So I'm all good."

It was then Kushina spared a momentary glance down at her best friend's chest, which she saw bounce a little when Mikoto inadvertently arched her back in an effort to readjust the top portion of her uniform. Upon seeing her assets spring with her subtle movements, irritated tick marks formed above the redhead's head as she immediately felt a sudden surge of envy and frustration.

"Damn it," Kushina muttered under her breath while her shoulders slumped, as she noticed that Mikoto was… a little more well-endowed than herself.

Ignoring his wife's little bout of jealousy, Minato approached the leering Jiraiya and quickly drew the man's attention towards him. "The Hokage is sending the three of us to go after Fuma Kotaro and stop her from acquiring an artifact called the _**Cintamani**_. If she succeeds in collecting all of the pieces scattered across the mainland, then a lot of bad things are going to happen. So the sooner we catch up to her the better."

Jiraiya's expression immediately became serious and his hand lowered from his bruised face. "Kotaro, huh?"

"So you've heard of her?" Mikoto asked the man curiously.

It was then the Sage leaned back on the table with an ever-serious expression. "There isn't a ninja out there who doesn't know her name. Kotaro Fuma; also known as _Kotaro the Greedy_ and _The Wind Demon_. She's an S-Rank criminal listed prominently in the bingo book; with a bounty of a hundred million double ryo on her head, and is regarded as the most dangerous kunoichi in the world. Her high wanted status is all due in part to the actions she and her gang have conducted together over the years, including the theft of multiple priceless artifacts, forbidden jutsu, vital intel, and the disappearance of at least three villages in two countries. Her strength and skill as a kunoichi is also at a ridiculously high level; able to infiltrate shinobi held territory without being detected and defeating entire military groups without receiving so much as a scratch." Jiraiya then gave a stern nod. "Are you sure you guys want to go after someone like her?"

A stern-faced Kushina then raised a hand and clenched it into a fist, "Absolutely."

"If it means putting an end to her string of petty theft and larceny once and for all, then I'm all for it," Mikoto also spoke, at the same time setting her hands on her hips and inhaling deeply. "Plus the bounty on her head doesn't sound half-bad either. A hundred million double ryo split three ways?"

"For that amount of money, you can definitely count me in," Kushina announced, at the same time raising her fist and bumping forearms with her Uchiha teammate. She then lowered her arm and focused her attention back on Minato's old master. "Since Kotaro is our target, we could definitely use the help from one of the Three Legendary Sannin on this mission… even if he is a raging pervert."

Nodding when he saw the determined expressions on the young group's faces, the lounging Sage then reached over, picked up his cup of tea, and looked at it thoughtfully. "What the hell. Since I'm currently suffering from a serious case of writer's block at the moment and the village seems to be gearing up for some kind of big fight, I guess there's no harm in putting aside a few days of free time to help my student and his girlfriends." He then took a big, long gulp of his drink and, once he'd downed his entire cup, set it back on the table with a loud clap. "The Toad Mountain Sage, Jiraiya of the Legendary Three, will gladly lend you his assistance!"

A grin formed on Minato's face as he then gave his teacher a grateful nod. "I really appreciate this, sensei."

"Just try your best to keep up with us, okay," Kushina said while placing her knuckles on her hips and smirking at the white-haired ninja. "Considering your…incredible _age_ … we wouldn't want you falling behind and dragging the entire team down with you."

"Ha!" Jiraiya laughed as he practically leapt to his feet, at the same time picking up the massive scroll he had sitting against the table next to him. As he hooked it around his waist, he continued to grin confidently at the Jonin hunting team. "You youngsters would do well not to underestimate me. I may not be as young as I was a few years ago, but I've still got a pretty decent spring in my step. I can keep pace with the four of you no problem."

Hearing him say this then put a grin on Mikoto's lips. "Alright. But fair warning; if you end up getting too close to either of us or I even catch a glimpse of you looking at us funny, I'm going to beat you up, strip you down to your underwear, paint you purple, and leave your massive, deadbeat hide behind enemy lines." She said this while cracking her knuckles loudly. "Deal?"

This gesture was more than enough to draw a bead of nervous sweat from the Sage. "D-Deal."

Kushina then discreetly shared a fist-bump with Mikoto, at the same time both women and Minato laughed quietly together.

OOO

Not long afterwards the team of four had been assembled, and with Minato spearheading their preparations, every single one of them was geared up and directed to the west gate in no time at all. As it currently stood, he and Kushina were currently sporting their regular issue fatigues, Mikoto was decked out in her ANBU uniform, and Jiraiya in his trademark wandering hermit clothing, they really were the most unique hodgepodge of Konoha ninja ever assembled. However, with so many heavy hitters concentrated in a single spot, they were nevertheless a serious force to be reckoned with.

Of course, their individual reputations and such didn't concern the members of Minato's team, all of whom had come out to see the five off on their mission. This included the cool, silver haired, mask-wearing Kakashi, the competitive yet cheerful Obito, and the kind yet fair Rin.

While Kushina, Jiraiya and Mikoto were standing in a row in the background, checking their equipment as well as their supplies, the blond Jonin was having a final word with the members of his young squad.

"Good luck out there, Minato-sensei," Rin said with a warm smile on her face as she gazed up at her teacher.

"Give that Kotaro woman a good clobbering from us," Obito exclaimed, at the same time holding a fist up high. His positivity however was downplayed by a quiet grunt from Kakashi, who kept his arms folded and shoulder turned to the exuberant Uchiha youngster.

Minato accepted their words of best wishes and encouragement with a grin, "Thanks guys… and take care of yourselves out there as well. I hear the Hokage has deployed you three to the field?"

"Yeah. He's sending us to the lookout station on the northern border," Rin replied, before then giving the older shinobi a thumbs-up. "We'll be okay. Gai's team will be coming along with us as support, so we're going to have plenty of backup."

"That's good. I know you three will do just fine together," Minato replied, before then turning his attention to Kakashi. "Watch each other's backs and make sure you all come home in one piece. Alright?"

The silver haired boy then looked up at his teacher and, after a moment's thought, nodded sternly. "Yes, sensei."

Obito peered across at his rival and frowned, "Geez. At least try to smile a little, man."

Kakashi's immediate response was to look back at his teammate with his serious and unchanging expression, "As far as I'm concerned there's nothing to smile about. It's just another job. Big deal."

"Grr," the raven haired teen with the goggles growled, before then looking away stubbornly, "I really don't like you sometimes."

"Don't worry. The feeling's mutual," the silver haired Chunin replied with equal distain. Their little quarrel drew a nervous laugh from an observing Rin.

After bidding one last farewell to his young squad, Minato turned and approached his team waiting patiently at the gates. While the guards in the building nearby were keeping close watch of the road, the Jonin party arranged themselves into a tight circle, where the shinobi selected to lead the mission began breaking down their plan of action to his comrades.

"Alright. Here's what we already know," Minato began with his game face on full. "The _Crimson Star_ gang have already acquired one of the pieces to the wishing jewel and are now on their way to _Iwagakure_ to collect the second piece. The journey from the fire capital to the hidden stone village is a few days on foot, so that means we're about twelve hours behind." He then held both hands out and prodded his right palm with his left index finger. "Aside from having a lot of ground to cover, we'll also have to navigate through multiple hostile territories. Since the other hidden villages have been informed of Kotaro's intentions, they will likely be directing all their armies to defend their borders, so you can bet there are going to be a lot of obstacles in our path."

"If we stick to the lowlands and to the rivers, we should be able to sneak into the land of earth no problem," Mikoto said, narrowing her eyes as she kept note of Minato's plan of attack.

"That's provided _Iwagakure_ hasn't already pushed all of their forces to the southern borders," Kushina replied, her serious gaze narrowing thoughtfully on their strategy. "Since Kotaro practically told the world where's she's going next, the Tsuchikage will probably be ordering all of his troops in to defend the village. So we shouldn't have any trouble sneaking into the country itself."

Nodding in agreement, Minato then moved on to the next point. "Kotaro has a reputation of being able to slip in and out of hidden villages without setting off any alarms… even through the heaviest and most advanced security systems. That means we're going to have an even harder time tracking her down if she manages to leave _Iwagakure_." He then looked across at his master, whom he saw was also listening with his full and undivided attention. "And it's not only Kotaro we have to deal with either. Each of the four members of the _Crimson Star_ gang has been trained directly under her and is each classified as an S-Ranked criminal. That means there level of skill is on an entirely different level to most other shinobi. If we're going to get to Kotaro, we'll have to deal with _them_ first."

It was then Kushina cracked a smile and stepped forward to stand by her husband, upon which she then looked to the other two members of their group. "As good as they are, there's no way those crooks will be able to beat the four of us. After all, we've got the four best ninja in _Konohagakure_ right here…"

The jinchuriki then turned to her husband and grinned fondly. "We have _Konoha's Yellow Flash_ …" She then placed a hand on her chest, "The leaf's _Red-Hot Habanero_ …" Her eyes then panned over the other two, starting with Jiraiya. "The _T_ o _ad Sage of Mount Myoboku_." After seeing the Sannin grin, Kushina's eyes then moved to her best friend Mikoto, who she could see lift her head up high and smile expectantly, as if waiting to hear her legendary moniker spelled out for her. However, several seconds of staring at her friend and looking as though she was about to say something, a bead of sweat suddenly ran down the Uzumaki's face, before she walked briskly past the duo. "And _Nickname Pending_. Let's go!"

Sensing that something bad was going to happen, a nervous Minato and Jiraiya wisely took off after Kushina as well, all of whom left a still smiling Mikoto behind and waiting patiently on the spot. Once about ten seconds had come and gone, the raven haired woman's right eye twitched, before the Uchiha wheeled around with an outraged look on her face. "Hey! Wha-… I… _**KUSHINA!**_ GET BACK HERE!" Mikoto shouted before sprinting after the three who had prudently decided to get the hell out of there. "WHY THE HELL DO YOU GUYS GET AWESOME NICKNAMES AND I DON'T! COME ON! I WANT ONE AS WELL!"

As Mikoto ran screaming after her team in the distance, the trio of youngsters Kakashi, Rin and Obito could only stare after them with deadpan expressions and sweat drops visible on their heads. After which they then wheeled about and decided to leave the awkward scene as far behind as they could.

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	3. The Hunt Arc - On the Rocks

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone. Just wanted to pop up and say hi to all those who are catching up on my stories.

Before you get on to reading this next chapter, there are a couple of things you need to know about this particular fic.

Because it is technically a prequel to my _**Naruto: Maoyu**_ fanfiction, there are a lot of elements to it that some people may be missing or not understanding, such as the Naruto and Tayuya relationship, the whole Fuma gang and their history, and the story taking place here. Since both this story and the main storyline are connected, you can't read one without having read the other, so there is that sense of synergy that needs to be had.

A lot of people might be lost or upset if they tried reading this one first, so you'll probably want to read _**Naruto: Maoyu**_ first before you read this one.

Of course, if you are just reading this fic on its own (which is perfectly fine), there are a couple of **important facts** you need to know.

The main bad guys in this story originated from the _**Fuma Clan**_ , which is a group that appeared in the earlier _**Naruto**_ _**filler**_ episodes when Naruto, Sakura and Jiraiya went out to try and find Sasuke after he left Konoha. They also made a brief appearance in Jiraiya's flashback where the old hermit fought that one shinobi with the Fuma Shuriken, who later turned out to be one of Pain's bodies.

The main antagonist herself, _**Fuma Kotaro**_ , is also based off of the same legendary shinobi in Japanese history in 1603 during the Edo Period (much like a lot of the other ninja in the Naruto canon), who was said to have defeated the famous _**Hanzo Hattori**_ in battle. This, of course, directly parallels the story of where I'm taking this fic, as you will probably later see in the next few chapters.

The artifact that _Fuma Kotaro_ is after, the _**Cintamani**_ , is an actual wish-fulfilling jewel within both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, said to be the equivalent of a philosopher's stone in western alchemy. It is also one of several Mani jewels featured in Buddhist scripture, and can often be found in various Buddhist artwork. Given its significance and historical importance, I have spliced the _Cintamani_ stone mythology in my own way into this story, making it one of the artifacts that predate the Sage of Six Paths; since it has its own cultural significance outside of Japanese mythology, which was what most of the Naruto canon was based off of.

If any of you readers need to find out about Fuma Kotaro or the Cintamani, there is plenty of information about them online, so check it out. Their history is really cool.

Anyway, for all those who are reading, I'll let you get back to reading.

* * *

 **NARUTO:** **MAOYŪ**

 ** _The Wind Demon_**

 _On the Rocks_

(Three days later)

(Iwagakure)

The enormous village hidden in the stones stood as a beacon of power, unwavering discipline and strength within _Tsuchi no Kuni_ (Land of Earth). Being a land composed almost entirely out of rocky mountains, hills and tors, the country had an abundance of minerals and resources at its disposal, such that its reputation for having one of the largest militaries in the world was certainly well earned. The main shinobi village itself was situated well within this labyrinth of mountainous terrain, the towering rocks and perilous caverns protecting it from mass invasions and attacks.

Of course, for the shinobi who knew the countryside well however, all the rocks and mountains really amounted to were just annoying obstacles. They just slowed down whoever wanted to enter the territory. Still, the views were nice, and the breeze was amazing.

On this particular day however, a dark cloud had suddenly fallen over the shinobi capital, as all across the hidden village from its perimeter walls to its central tower, thousands of shinobi could be seen standing guard over their beloved home. With squads poised atop of buildings and patrolling the streets below, one could see that the entirety of _Iwagakure_ was on high-alert, ready to stop any and all would-be intruders.

Enormous artillery batteries carrying massive shuriken the size of houses were also posted on random high rises, with the officer shinobi in charge commanding all lookouts to keep a weather eye on the horizon. From the amount of firepower the village was currently packing, only a massive fool and an imbecile would even think about trying to infiltrate such a stronghold.

However, behind the layers of fortifications, fuinjutsu barriers and sensors, in the building situated at the base of the Tsuchikage's Tower, a shadow had suddenly found its way into their midst.

In a large antechamber lit by beams of sunlight rolling down from the window sills high above, in the middle of the tiled floor, sat a large fountain with an old stone pedestal in the center. The entire structure, from the pool of shimmering water, to the sun-shaped symbol painted around the spring, and to the rib-vault ceiling situated over the entire centerpiece, all came together to illuminate the single rock sitting in the heart of the shrine.

The memorial was as simple as they came, but was no less the most significant and important part of the village next to the people that inhabited it.

On the orders of the Tsuchikage, the entire _Stone Monument_ and its building had been cleared of all personnel and civilians. Since the target was the very fountain itself, Iwagakure guards had been posted around the entire perimeter; including the roof, the ground, and every single vent and window of the institute.

Nothing was getting in or out… save one person.

Floating down from the very top of the chamber from its very top window, a single lone cherry blossom petal drifted down towards the fountain. As it curled and floated through the air on a gentle breeze, the pink leaf suddenly multiplied into two, then into three, before suddenly bursting into a cloud of countless petals. Twisting and spinning around each other, the rain of pink leaves formed into a pink twister of foliage, until it dispelled moments later to reveal the purple, kimono clad form of the beautiful Fuma Kotaru standing in the very heart of Iwagakure's capital.

It seemed as though all of the village's efforts to guard its monument had failed with spectacular grace.

Sashaying her way up to the fountain and making her way across the bridge built over the pool, the woman then stopped in the middle of the catwalk and glanced down at the water. Eyeing its glistening surface for a moment and the hundreds of rocks lying beneath it, she then reached into her obi and pulled out the small Hoju stone she'd acquired from the daimyo's palace.

Rolling it gracefully between her fingers and testing its weight, Kotaro then lifted it up to her lips and whispered to it. _**"Jiēshì."**_ (Reveal) This spell then caused the grooves on the bud shaped rock to glow a bright gold, and fill the air around her fingers with wisps of cool smoke.

When she looked up from the small artifact and into the pond surrounding her, the kunoichi then saw one of the tiny rocks light up red, which then glowed and pulsed underneath the water. Her eyes gleaming with excitement when she spotted the ethereal pebble, she then held the hand with the first stone out towards it and concentrated.

A split second later the water's surface gave a quick splash when the red rock shot out of the cluster and flew right into her palm. Catching it, Kotaro then rotated her hand upwards and opened her fingers, revealing the two Hoju stone prizes sitting comfortably in her grasp. The sight of the glowing items caused her heart to race.

"Two down… one more to go," she whispered, only to blink when she suddenly felt a dark shadow loom over her, prompting her to perk upwards in surprise.

All of a sudden two enormous, stone hands slammed together on either side of the woman with a deafening 'crack', seemingly squashing the unsuspecting Kotaro with a single blow and sending a loud shockwave bouncing off of the chamber walls. When the dust around the two hands settled moments later, they revealed themselves to be attached to the arms and body of a massive, rock figure with horns, which had managed to quietly pop out of the ground directly behind her and strike while her back was turned.

Floating in the air over the stone golem, a tiny figure; a short old man with a grey triangle beard and mustache, a predominantly bald head with a chonmage ponytail, and wearing a green and yellow coat, a light green flak jacket, pants, mesh armor and sandals, was looking down at the fountain with his hand formed into the seal of confrontation.

" _ **Doton: Gōremu no Jutsu,"**_ (Earth Release: Golem Technique) the old man stated as he then lowered his hand. Upon which he breathed a sigh. "And that's it for you, thief." From the immediacy of his attack, he was confident that he'd managed to successfully crush the invader.

It was then the short elder suddenly heard a giggle echo around the room, which then had his eyes snap up towards the ceiling. There, hanging from one of the arches of the dome, he saw the kimono-clad form of Fuma Kotaru smiling down at him, her arms crossed and the material of her top hanging downwards, along with her ghostly locks.

Due to the gravity being enacted upon her clothing, not only was the white-haired woman's cleavage even more exposed, but underneath her dress she, up the smooth, ivory skin of her slender legs, she revealed herself to be wearing a white loin cloth with a T-back, showing off her pert buttocks.

Despite this little display, the old man floating beneath her didn't seem distracted at all. In fact, almost immediately after spotting her, the airborne shinobi now appeared noticeably worried.

Apparently, without any warning or prior notice, the woman had managed to evade his golem's attack without the least bit of effort, using speed that he'd been unable to track. That was terrifying skill even of itself.

"That was a sneaky thing to do, Tsuchikage-sama," Kotaro spoke in a sing-song voice as she leered down at the village elder. "Attacking a pretty young girl from behind with a giant stone golem when she's not looking. Shame on you."

Her coy attitude caused Onoki to frown irritably as he continued to hover in place. "You're a dangerous criminal who has just infiltrated the Village Hidden in the Stones and desecrated its most sacred of monuments. As _Iwagakure's_ current leader, and protector of all that this nation holds dear, I cannot allow this offense to go unpunished. It is my duty to stop you right here and now, by any means necessary… Fuma Kotaro."

"Oh? That sounds like a challenge," the white-haired beauty grinned from up high. "Are you planning on fighting me, Onoki-san?"

"By 'fighting' you mean 'defeating'… than yes," the Tsuchikage replied before thrusting his hands forward and willing his enormous stone golem to lock its attention on the woman on the ceiling above it. "I AM!"

Concentrating chakra into the stone golem, the village leader caused the enormous creature of rock to grow and bulk up in size. With the earth at its feet feeding into it and giving it size, the goliath soon rose up to Fuma Kotaro's level and, with its fist being cocked back, thrust a massive punch towards the upside-down woman.

As the knuckles of the now titan-sized golem closed in on her, Kotaro's expression remained completely unchanged as she remained where she was with her arms crossed. She didn't budge an inch, even when the giant's fist smashed into her and caused a terrifying shockwave to reverberate outwards and rattle the entire building. However, just when it seemed like the attack was a success, the shockwave caused by the golem's punch suddenly blew back, causing the stone giant to shatter and explode into a million pieces.

The rubble and crushed remains of the golem pelted the surrounding chamber with the force of a bomb blast, forcing Onoki to evade sharply and bring his hands over his face to protect himself from the debris. Once he'd managed to evade the death cloud, the Tsuchikage quickly looked back at his opponent, only to see that she'd dropped down from the ceiling and landed elegantly on the ground, right in front of where his golem once stood.

" _What was that? Some kind of shockwave? A blast of wind? What just happened?"_ A nervous bead of sweat ran down Onoki's face when he saw that the woman was completely unharmed and unfazed. _"Nobody has the faintest clue as to what Fuma Kotaro's true nature and abilities are… that's part of the reason that makes her so dangerous. You can't fight an enemy without knowing the full extent of what they're truly capable of."_ He then clenched his fists tightly as he looked upon the unnerving smile of the thief on the other side of the room. _"Perhaps it would be better if I went all out… and finished her off as quickly as possible, so as to avoid a prolonged confrontation."_

If he was to carry on this fight, there was a good chance he and Kotaro would end up destroying all of _Iwagakure_. That was something he was not going to let happen. Not on his watch.

Flipping through hand seals, Onoki then dropped down from the air and slammed his hands into the floor with a dull thump. _**"Doton: Sando no Jutsu!"**_ (Earth Release: Sandwich Technique) This immediately caused a low rumble to ripple across the building, before two enormous slabs of stone rose up from the ground on either side of Fuma Kotaro and slammed together.

The moment the two pieces came together to squash the woman, another shockwave rang out as both sections of earth were sudden blown away, once again pelting the surrounding room with rubble. When the air cleared, Onoki once again saw his opponent standing in place, her arms still crossed over her ample bust and a relaxed, very intimidating smile on her face.

"Again… no effect?" the Tsuchikage murmured in disbelief.

"As much as I'm enjoying watching you go through your list of jutsu, do you think we could wrap this up now?" Kotaro asked, before then nodding towards her right in an off-handed manner. "I've got places to be and stuff to do… so…"

Gritting his teeth angrily, the short Kage then brought his hands up and framed them up in front of him. "Don't get cocky, you little brat!" The instant he aimed his palms, light quickly began to gather in the center, quickly forming into a cone-shaped mass of energy that steadily grew in size. It was the sight of the technique forming that immediately had Kotaro stop and glance at it in interest, shortly before Onoki uttered the name of his next technique. _**"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu!"**_ (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique)

In a flash, he then let loose the attack in the form of an expanding beam, which shot towards Kotaro at light speed. Judging from the sheer power and mass behind the attack, it seemed more than capable of wiping the woman out with a single hit. When it struck, another explosion rang out as it cut through the ground, disintegrated the woman, and blasted a massive hole through the building's wall behind her. Moments later the pillar of light faded, allowing the cloud of debris to settle.

Onoki's first thought was that his opponent had been completed atomized by his attack. But when he saw the air in front of him clear, a stunned look appeared across his face when he saw Fuma Kotaro standing in the center of the trench his attack had burned into the floor. However, what he also saw was that the ground directly at the woman's feet had remained intact, making it look as though the attack had gone around her when it swallowed her up. It was like it didn't even want to touch her.

"No way…" Onoki muttered in disbelief.

Shrugging her bare shoulders, Kotaro chuckled when she saw the astonished mug of the Tsuchikage staring back at her. "Influencing and disintegrating the molecules of an area within the boundaries of a three-dimensional object created from three separate nature types. Your world famous _Kekkei Tota_ if I'm not mistaken. I have to admit… it's a very interesting idea." The thief in the kimono than unfolded her arms and flexed her fingers. "But unfortunately, once you figure out how it's done, it's not that big a deal anymore."

Beads of sweat than began trickling down Onoki's face. _"I threw everything I had at her… and she doesn't even have a scratch."_ With the amount of chakra he put behind that attack, he'd been more than capable of disintegrating an entire island. But this woman was able to withstand the full brunt of the attack without even so much as a flinch. The fact that she was still grinning so casually had the elderly leader swallow fearfully. _"What is she?"_

"You're one of the only ninja on this continent who has proficiency over wind, fire and earth elemental chakra as part of your bloodline, with the incredibly rare ability to combine all three into a single nature transformation. As formidable as that may be compared to most other shinobi, my abilities are a little bit different," Kotaro informed as she then began to approach the Tsuchikage at a casual pace, causing the old man to take a step back. "You see, for the past several years, I've trained myself in the use of only a single nature type; polishing, refining, and pushing it to and beyond its physical limitations. It soon got to the point that I was able to master it to such an extent that I am now able to accomplish feats that no other user of the same nature has ever achieved before. In other words, I can do stuff like _**this**_."

The moment she said this, she suddenly lifted her foot off the ground and tapped it against the tiles. The affect was instantaneous, causing a shockwave that rippled outwards and shattered the floor into countless pieces, crumbling and transforming into dust.

Spotting the ripple heading towards him, a frantic Onoki sprang into the air and avoided it. When he suspended himself in the air, the elder suddenly spun around when he heard the walls of the entire building around him begin to split and fracture, before watching the ceiling itself shatter. As the rubble and debris cascaded down around him, the Tsuchikage quickly flew about the chamber, keeping his eyes fixed on the white-haired woman down below.

" _Such incredible power… how can she cause this much devastation with only a single strike of her heel?"_ the man thought, having not seen such a level of devastation from a lone individual for… a few decades. Onoki then gritted his teeth as he then brought his hands up and framed them in front of his face a second time, aiming them down at the woman he could see standing in the heart of the cataclysm far below. _"I must destroy her now, before she-"_ He then stopped when he felt his shoulder run into something solid.

Floating directly behind him and upside-down in the air, Fuma Kotaro had her side turned to the old man, who'd inadvertently and unexpectedly ended up drifting into her. The moment he did, the dangerous thief's eyes narrowed demonically, as she then leered murderously at the Kage next to her.

"Your reflexes are a little slow, old man."

The moment Onoki spun around, he suddenly saw Kotaro extend her hand and curl her fingers.

"You lose."

She then rapped her knuckles against his side…

OOO

 _Iwagakure's_ city center was suddenly rocked by a massive explosion as the building containing the sacred _Stone Monument_ was completely and utterly annihilated. As a result, a great big mushroom cloud of smoke and dust rose up into the sky over the village, shocking the armed forces on station while drawing fearful looks from the civilians still hanging around the general area.

As the whole of the town center was blanketed over by the smog, as the heart of the blast slowly cleared, it revealed an utterly ruined block, a completely destroyed building, and the remains of the sacred fountain itself sitting in the heart of it all. Despite the unaccountable amount of damage brought to the neighborhood and having most of the water in its pool emptied, the fountain remained relatively intact; with its single stone still sitting at the top of its pillar.

"W-What in the world?" the commander of Iwa's forces Kitsuchi stammered as he stared down at the smoldering crater from the top of the village's administration tower. The dozens of shinobi who were with him and manning the shuriken artillery batteries on the structure's edges were also doing the same thing.

While the squads of shinobi were busy gaping down at the scene of utter destruction, they suddenly heard the light tap of someone landing directly behind them and spun around. When they did, every single man and woman on top of the Tsuchikage's tower saw Fuma Kotaro herself standing there, at the same time holding up their village leader by the back of his collar.

Onoki, his uniform shredded and torn in several places, was hanging unconscious from the woman's hand, bleeding from the forehead and mouth, with his eyes shut.

As she dangled the old man in front of her, Kotaro looked around at the shocked Iwa ninja with an intimidating leer. "Yo." She then hefted the unconscious Onoki up and showed him off to them like he were some prize she'd won at a carnival. "One minute and fifteen seconds. I think I've set the record for the fastest defeat of a Kage in history. What do you think?"

"Tsuchikage-sama!" one of the shinobi soldiers shouted.

"Lord Third!" another of the soldiers also called out.

Kitsuchi, gritting his teeth angrily at the sight of his leader in the clutches of the woman, then raised his arm and bellowed to his troops. "SHINOBI OF IWAGAKURE! RESCUE TSUCHIKAGE-SAMA… AND KILL THAT WOMAN!"

" _ **YES, SIR!"**_ the Chunin and Jonin stationed on the tower roof replied in unison, with every single one of them dropping into fighting stances and drawing their weapons.

Upon hearing their battle cry, the commander of the forces then slammed his hands together and flew though hand seals, before puffing out his cheeks and exhaling sharply. _**"Doton: Gōremu no Jutsu!"**_ (Earth Release: Golem Technique) He then spewed out a mass of mud and earth, which quickly solidified into stone and took the shape of another massive golem, which flew straight at Kotaro with a punch.

While still clutching Onoki by the back of his top, Kotaro then held up her other hand and caught the golem's flying fist with her palm, causing a loud thunderclap to ring out when she stopped it cold. Kotaro then smirked as she gazed up at the enormous figure.

"You want your Kage back that badly? Okay," the woman chirped, before pumping chakra into the statue and shattering the stone behemoth. As the debris of the exploding jutsu pelted Kitsuchi and the shinobi on their side of the roof, Kotaro spun around and threw the unconscious Onoki at a charging shinobi coming up behind her. "Here!" She slammed the tiny body into the shinobi's chest and knocked him into his squad of allies, bowling them over and also dispensing of another threat.

Upon which the silver haired woman then turned her attention to the other ninja now rushing at her.

A smile remained ever present on Kotaro's face. "Let's dance."

She then proceeded to engage the shinobi and kunoichi on top of the cone-shaped roof using only taijutsu, while every man and woman there attacked her however they saw fit. Shuriken and kunai were thrown, jutsu were used, and ninja came charging at Kotaro armed with swords, kusari, and all sorts of other bladed weaponry.

However, despite being surrounded on all sides and attacked from all directions, a completely calm and composed Kotaro darted between all of them in a blur, taking each of the shinobi down with a series of graceful, yet elaborate palm strikes and spin kicks. Loud thuds and crunches echoed throughout the air with every ninja she managed to knock down, sending her targets bouncing across the roof to join the pile of bodies that was now slowly starting to amass on the roof.

Those who moved in to engage her directly were taken out early, while those attacking from a distance she approached and defeated seconds later. In a matter of moments over two dozen men and women could be seen lying slumped all over the roof, beaten, bleeding and all knocked out cold, with more and more quickly starting to join them. Such was the terrifying efficiency and strength of the enemy they were facing.

In the chaos, a squad of able-bodied men were able to take the unconscious Onoki to safety, quickly carrying their stricken leader to a medic.

When Kitsuchi rushed forward to engage Kotaro, the large man quickly sprang into the air and dove right down at her, cocking his fist back and pumping chakra through his arm. _**"Doton: Kendan no Jutsu!"**_ (Earth Style: Fist Rock Technique) His arm instantaneously enlarged and transformed into stone, cracking loudly as it expanded before he thrust it forward in a powerful swing. "KOTAROOOOOOOO!"

Kicking away a katana wielding Chunin and sending him tumbling off the roof, the silver haired woman spun around with a smile. She then ducked the man's blow when he dropped down on her with a swing, before proceeding to slip and weave between his attacks. His rock fist barely missing her, the woman then timed one of the man's attacks and stepped in deep. Hitting him with a swift palm strike and effectively stopping the man's attack dead, she then kicked the winded Kitsuchi into the air, followed by a sharp punch. The attacks hit hard and fast, with the last one knocking the Jonin flying back across the roof.

Slamming his feet into the ground and stopping himself short, Kitsuchi spat up blood before growling and charging back at the woman for another attack. However, before he could get within five yards of her, the still defensive Kotaro thrust her hand towards him. The act of which suddenly caused Kitsuchi's body to shudder to a halt, as an invisible force suddenly gripped hold of him. When Kotaro raised her hand upwards, the strained and struggling Kitsuchi followed, his body floating up into the air like it was possessed.

Holding him airborne for a moment, the calm Kotaro then threw the man into the building across from the Tsuchikage Tower with a sonic boom, the man crashing into the neighboring roof and sending a cloud of dust into the air. Immediately after dispersing of the commander the silver haired intruder then rose up and smirked.

It was then a collective cry of 'Fire' echoed across the village, which was shortly followed by a cloud of black objects filling the skies all around Kotaro's position. When the woman looked and saw the black dots start raining down towards her, she quickly realized that the shinobi and kunoichi scattered across the rooftops of the surrounding rooftops had just unleashed a shower of kunai and shuriken upon her position. The enormous artillery pieces had also lobbed their ammunition at her, with shuriken the size of houses flying through the air and joining the thousands of other blades.

Seeing that she was cornered and had nowhere to escape to evade the incoming barrage, it seemed like Kotaro was done for. However, with a calm smile still in play, the woman then slapped her hands together and formed the dog, dragon and ram seals; a split second before a sharp gust of wind blasted off of her body and rippled outwards.

The instant this shockwave reached the incoming salvo of airborne weaponry, everything literally stopped. The _Iwagakure_ ninja forces could only gawk in shock when they saw every single shuriken, kunai and artillery projectile freeze midflight, hovering in place as they were held back by an unknown force.

Seeing the wall of weapons surrounding her in a dome from the directions they'd all flown from, Kotaro giggled and raised a delicate hand into the air. "Thanks for the presents, boys." Twirling a finger, she then willed every single weapon to rotate around and point back at the buildings where they'd flown from, causing eyes to bug out all around and everyone's hair to stand on end. The white-haired woman then cocked her head. "And now… you can have them back." She then snapped her fingers.

In an instant, every single projectile that she'd caught in midair flew back at their users with a sharp gust of wind propelling each of them. All around Kotaro then saw clouds of dust and explosions fill the air, as the rain of kunai and shuriken peppered the surrounding village, destroying and damaging hundreds of buildings. As Iwa was bombarded by its own weapons, a couple of apartments collapsed in a matter of moments, while the rooftops of several other structures caved in on themselves.

Amidst the chaos and the sounds of destruction, screams of terror also rang out, as shinobi were sent flying or falling off of their posts, indicating that Kotaro's counter attacks had hit their marks.

Kotaro could only give a laugh as she watched _Iwagakure_ shinobi scamper about in a panic, not knowing what the hell had just happened or how to respond to it. "So… who's next?"

She then had to spring away moments later when a couple of white doves suddenly dropped down from the sky and crashed into her rooftop position, only to detonate on impact.

Springing to the very top of the tower and standing on its apex, Kotaro's eyes then shot up to the sky in a glare. There, flying above her position, she spotted an enormous white bird composed entirely out of… clay? Puzzled by this, the woman's eyes then looked up at the person who was riding it, where she quickly spotted a woman in a typical _Iwagakure_ uniform with a long sleeve on her right arm, with short blond hair, sharp black rings around her eyes, and a burn scar on her right cheek.

Lying amongst the crowd of other unconscious and injured shinobi on the roof, one of the Iwagakure Chunin that had had his ribs broken by Kotaro looked up through a pained expression at the bird in the sky, upon which he then grinned. "Dana-sensei…"

"The captain of the Explosive Corp?" Kotaro murmured, before then grinning when she recognized the woman for herself. "Now _there_ is a forbidden jutsu I haven't seen in action before."

Raising her hands and revealing a pair of mouths on her the palms of her hands, the Jonin identified as Dana smirked. "Your fun and games stop right here, Fuma Kotaro. Hm." She then clenched her fingers and, cocking them back, threw them up and unleashed a hail of white balls. These then all burst into life and transformed into a flock of more, clay-made birds, which quickly moved to orbit around her. "Now… you're mine!" She then sent the dozen white birds diving down at Kotaro's position.

The white haired kunoichi however smirked broadly and dropped into a new fighting stance. "Whatever you say."

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Outside of the village's perimeter wall behind one of the large hillsides and cliffs making up the terrain, another kind of battle had just come to an end.

Yanking his massive, custom-designed Shadow Windmill Fuma Shuriken out of the back of a recently deceased _Iwagakure_ Chunin, the turban-wearing Shen Fuma then flicked the blood off to the side and chuckled. "Well… that's one less platoon we have to worry about." Collapsing the four blades into a single one with a loud, metallic snap, the man with the goatee then glanced across at his teammates. "I got a total of twenty eight. How did you guys do on your end?"

Looking across the rocky outcrop, dozens of dead and unconscious _Iwagakure_ shinobi littered the area, all of whom showed the signs of being caught up in a very vicious battle. It was here, standing amongst the field of bodies, the other three members of the _Crimson Stars_ could be seen.

The tallest of the group, Mei, also retracting her enormous Fuma Blade, looked back at Shen with her usual, impassive expression. "I got twenty three."

"Ha!" Shen laughed out loud while tapping his Fuma sword against his shoulder. "You're falling behind, sis. You need to get your head in the game if you have any hope of beating me today." He then turned his attention to his other sister Yu, who he could see was sitting on top of the last ninja she'd defeated. "How did you go?"

The girl with the ox-horn hairstyle smirked, "Twenty six."

"Pft. Liar," Shen muttered, earning a harsh glare from the orange haired girl. "I bet you just sat back staring at the clouds again while Mei-chan did all the work." Before the woman could mount any form of complaint, the man in the turban then looked across to the other side of the field, where he quickly spotted the other male member staring off into the distance. "Hey. What's up, San? Did you lose something?"

The man with the top-knot and shuriken tattoos remained quiet for a moment, causing the other three members of his team to react with concern. As explosions inside of _Iwagakure_ continued to ring out and smoke started to fill the sky, San turned back to his team with a frown. "Four powerful chakra signatures are approaching from the south-east at an incredible speed… one of them is a jinchuriki."

Hearing this finding kicked the three _Crimson Star_ fighters into action, prompting them to move forward and join San at the cliff's edge. When they also turned their attention to the horizon, the serious Shen then blinked in realization.

He then narrowed his gaze thoughtfully, "The Nine-Tails?"

"Most likely," San replied sternly as he gripped the Fuma Blade sheathed at his side tightly. "It's the strongest chakra signature I think I've ever come across… besides sensei's. They're coming up through the lowlands… probably to avoid detection. I've been keeping an eye on that area for a while now."

It was then a wide smile formed across the stoic Mei's lips as she stepped forward and drew her Fuma Blade. "Well… it looks like Konoha has finally answered our master's message." She then glanced over at her comrades, whose eyes she could see were gleaming with equal excitement. "Shall we?"

OOO

(A few minutes later)

The sounds of explosions and rumblings could be heard echoing in the distance as Minato, Kushina, Mikoto and Jiraiya approached Iwagakure. Leaping through the large chasm snaking its way through the mountains via the rocky tors jutting up out of the river below, the four shinobi from Konohagakure quickly spotted the telltale signs of smoke over the horizon. At first they thought it was just an odd cloud formation, but when they suddenly spotted a ball of fire shoot up over the hill and part the existing plumes, they quickly realized that it was most certainly not a natural element.

Kushina's eyes narrowed when she saw the ball of flames several kilometers away form into a mushroom cloud. "It looks like we're too late."

"Kotaro and her gang must already be there," Jiraiya spoke up, also guessing from the sounds of battle that the village was already in combat with the intruders. He then whistled when he saw two more balls of flame choke the sky and clog the atmosphere. "Damn. Those are a lot of fireworks going off."

Hopping over to another pillar, Minato glanced behind him at the rest of his squad. "We're coming up on _Iwagakure_. If we keep going at this pace, we should be there in about eight minutes. Get ready."

Upon receiving their captain's instructions, the team of four picked up their speed and began climbing higher up the cliff as they traveled through the gorge. As they drew closer, the sounds of war and chaos grew louder, until the smell of blood, burning wood and stone became all too present in the air. This quickly had Minato and his team firm up, as they knew they were about to walk into a warzone.

But just as they were about to reach the end of the chasm, Mikoto suddenly caught a glimpse of something up ahead and shouted. "Minato!"

Hearing the woman stopped the blond and the rest of the squad, the group landing atop one of the plateaus rising up from the bottom of the chasm. The moment their momentum ceased, four shadows suddenly dropped down from the top of the cliff and landed on the rock formation in front of them. When the Konoha contingent looked up at the outcrop before them, they immediately assumed defensive stances when they saw the four familiar faces of the _Crimson Star_ gang leering down at them; all of them assembled randomly on the tower of rock and arranged into a gangster-like fashion, and all of them were carrying their folded up Fuma blades.

Sitting on one of the tor's ledges closest to the group of leaf ninja, his right leg swinging back and forth over the side while his shuriken rested against his shoulder, the turban-wearing Shen leered menacingly at the newcomers. At the same time Mei, Yu and San grinned confidently.

"It looks like you four are a little lost."

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	4. The Hunt Arc - The Shadow Windmills

**NARUTO:** **MAOYŪ**

 ** _The Wind Demon_**

 _The Shadow Windmills_

Setting herself into a fighting stance and grabbing the bow slung around her shoulder, Mikoto's eyes flashed red as her three-pronged Sharingan activated. "Did we slip up? How did they know we were coming?"

"They probably have a sensor type amongst them," Minato replied, his eyes quickly panning over the four members of the _Crimson Star_ gang arranged on the rocky knoll in front of them. From his position on the plateau, he could identify each of the mercenaries in turn. The one with the turban sitting on the lowest ledge of the peak with his leg dangling over the side was Shen, the tallest female standing on the ledge to his right with her arms crossed was Mei, the one with the shuriken tattoos and leaning against the wall was San, and the girl with the ox-horn cut sitting cross-legged above them was Yu. In other words, it appeared that the full force of Kotaro's gang had turned out to greet them, causing a nervous sweat to run down Minato's brow. "Looks like we'll be stuck here a while."

"Provided you four don't get killed by us in the next couple of minutes," San spoke up with an arrogant grin in play as he sized up the group down below. "You guys have obviously heard of us… so you know full well what befalls any shinobi or bounty hunter that attempts to confront us in battle."

"Not to mention we've all heard of you lot," Yu stated, her attention squaring up on the large man with white spiky hair standing behind the three youngest members of the squad. "There's Jiraiya of the Three Legendary Sannin… the great _Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku_."

"Then we have Konoha's _Yellow Flash_ , the infamous shinobi killer Minato Namikaze," Mei spoke with a wide grin as she looked upon the blond haired Jonin at the front of the pack.

"The current jinchuriki and host of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, the _Red-Hot Habanero_ Kushina Uzumaki," San said, before his eyes then fell on Mikoto. "And then there's uhh… umm…" His smile then disappeared as he attempted to pull up a name and profile of the woman with dark hair, whose shoulders he could see slump in disbelief. "Well… you have the Sharingan, so you're obviously an Uchiha…"

"Oh come on!" Mikoto shouted while throwing her arms out exasperatedly, while the rest of her squad looked at one another awkwardly. "Why is everybody else so damn famous and not me?! Why don't I have an awesome nickname in the bingo book?"

"Maybe it's because you haven't really done anything outstanding before to warrant one," Kushina said in a joking manner and with a small smile in play.

When Minato noticed Mikoto's head lower and a desponded cloud hover over her head, the blond man smiled at her comfortingly. "But… the fact that nobody knows who you are… must mean that you are really good at your job, Mikoto-chan."

"Thanks. That makes me feel so much better," the dark haired woman muttered irritably.

Watching the display down below strangely for a moment, the four members of the _Crimson Stars_ waited for the Konoha contingent to get their act together. After seeing them turn their attention back to them, the leader of the group Shen then stood up and threw the enemy squad a smirk. "I take it you four are here for our master, correct? Well, I'm sorry to say that you guys won't be going any further."

"Fuma Kotaro requested that Konoha send its best, most powerful shinobi after her," Mei stated, drumming her fingers against her bicep as she smiled at the serious-looking leaf ninja.

"But if you plan on facing our master in battle, you have to get past the four of us first. No exceptions," Yu also spoke from where she was sitting, running her fingers along the blunt edge of her giant, folded-up Fuma Blade. "To be honest, we were kind of hoping that Konoha would send Tsunade or Orochimaru after her as well. But it seems that the leaf has chosen to send a gaggle of its next generation instead."

"Of course we have absolutely no problems with this," Shen said, at the same time leering murderously at Minato in particular. "I've always wanted to face the so-called fastest shinobi in the world in battle… the _Yellow Flash_ _of Konohagakure_ and the man who supposedly has 'flee on sight' orders posted on him in all four of the great hidden villages. I want to see whether or not the rumors of his terrifying speed and battlefield efficiency are true." When he said this, the rest of his group drew the giant Fuma Shuriken from their belts and sheaths, the black metal of the enormous, thick blades flashing under the light of the sun hanging overhead.

Seeing the enemy getting ready for battle, Minato and the rest of his squad did the same, with Mikoto undoing the latch of her quiver, while Kushina slipped her fingers into the pouch behind her. As soon as they saw Shen snap open his Fuma Blade and its four blades come into play, the elite squad from Konoha decided to take action.

"Mikoto," Minato whispered back to her.

The woman with the Sharingan nodded, "Right." She then swiftly drew her bow and three arrows from her quiver. In the blink of an eye she hooked up an arrow to her yumi and drew back on the string, a split second before letting it fly at the _Crimson Star_ gang above them.

Reacting instantly Shen cocked back his throwing arm and pitched his enormous windmill blade at the approaching arrow, his massive shuriken colliding with and slicing the airborne arrow clean in half. However, the instant the enormous blades cut through the projectile, a spark shot off of the arrow's shaft, igniting the exploding tag wrapped around it and detonating with a deafening blast of fire and smoke. As the atmosphere became clogged with black fumes, the enormous Fuma blade thrown by the gang leader flew out the back of the cloud and straight towards the Konoha ninja down below.

Almost as soon as the explosion went off Minato took flight, leaping right off of the plateau his squad was standing on and hiking off of the giant Fuma blade as it flew past him. The rest of his team scattered as the giant windmill shuriken flew right over their plateau, before arcing around and boomeranging back to its owner.

The blond Jonin then shot through the cloud of smoke and out the other side, flying right at the _Crimson Star_ gang. When he saw the four ninja on the peak quickly assume defensive stances, the man then threw his hand forward and lobbed one of his famous tri-corner kunai towards them, aiming right at their leader's head.

The smirking Shen timed the approach of the incoming blade, pitching a cluster of smaller shuriken towards the approaching blond before instinctively head-slipping the kunai so that it flew past him. When it appeared his barrage of ninja stars was about to hit the Jonin, he suddenly saw Minato vanish in a flicker, and his shuriken hit nothing but thin air.

In an instant Minato Namikaze reappeared directly behind Shen just two feet away, catching the kunai he'd thrown past the man and swinging down at him with a second one, intent on slicing through the mercenary's spine and taking him out. With his proximity and speed, it was a sure kill.

But then, just when Minato's kunai was about to cut through the man's back, a black mass suddenly jutted up directly in front of him and, before the blond could react, the air in his lungs was pushed out of his mouth when a heavy kick buried into his ribs. His eyes widening in shock as his body was lifted off the floor, the blond Jonin only had a split second to see that the black mass that had gotten in his way was in fact Shen's shadow, which had unexpectedly come to life and jumped in his way, forming an actual solid black clone that sent Minato flying off of the peak to crash into the chasm wall on the other side.

Shen grinned when he glanced behind him, watching his black shadow sink back into the floor where it rightfully belonged and the cloud of dust floating around the crater Minato had punched into the cliff. _**"Hiden: Kagema Ayatsuri no Jutsu."**_ (Secret: Shadow Manipulation Technique) The green haired man then stuck his hand out and blindly caught his massive Fuma blade when it returned to him, snapping it closed. "We know exactly how your _**Hiraishin no Jutsu**_ (Flying Thunder God Technique) works, Minato Namikaze. So don't think we'll be fooled by it like everybody else."

OOO

Landing on a nearby tor, away from their previously position, Mikoto knelt down and, slipping two arrows into her bow simultaneously, drew back on it and took aim at the group on the peak. She then let loose her projectiles with a snap, sending them flying at two separate targets. However, one of the Fuma members was prepared for her attack.

Spotting the sniper's arrows flying in, Mei unfolded her Fuma blade and threw the massive shuriken towards the Uchiha's projectiles, cutting right through them while her weapon continued traveling towards Mikoto's position. Before the raven haired woman could react, the long-haired female of the Crimson Stars slammed her hands together into a series of hand seals, before finishing on tiger.

" _ **Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"**_ (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)

In a flash, her enormous airborne Fuma blade multiplied into hundreds of other shuriken, all of which flew towards Mikoto's position with the intent of cutting her to ribbons. Upon seeing the wall of death flying towards her, the Uchiha panicked and back flipped, dropping down behind the towering pillar of rock she was standing on while the salvo of massive shuriken flew past her previous position, with some of them chipping and impaling the tor itself.

Seeing the hundred other copies of her Fuma blades fly past the peak, Mei then formed another hand seal and stuck her hands out. What followed was a gust of wind that blasted off of her palms and struck the retreating barrage, seizing control of the blades and slowing their flight. From there the woman proceeded to telekinetically control the blades via the wind, guiding the barrage of five dozen weapons upwards, before causing them to arc through the sky and fly back down towards Mikoto, who was still hiding behind the tower.

The Uchiha mother spotted the barrage of weapons flying down at her and, reacting in alarm, sprang away as fast as she could.

As she saw her enemy's hiding place chipped and sliced away by the stream of weapons arcing past it, the smiling Mei then sprang off of her squad's position and into the sky, a gust of wind propelling her into the air and keeping her afloat. _**"Futon: Otome no Hiko!"**_ (Wind Release: Flight of the Maiden)During which time she continued to manually control her airborne Fuma blades, sending them chasing after the now retreating Mikoto.

OOO

While the Uchiha was chased after her flying adversary, Jiraiya was engaged in his own battle. Landing on another flat top of rock standing in the gorge, the white haired Sannin back flipped to avoid the cluster of small shuriken that slammed into the ground in front of him. Upon which he then dodged the kick that followed from a descending San, who'd dropped down from the peak to engage him directly.

After swinging out at the large hermit a couple of times with his folded up Fuma Blade, the man then suddenly snapped it open on one of his missed strikes and thrust it out at Jiraiya, intent on beheading him. The white haired man quickly slipped back to avoid it, only for his eyes to widen when he caught sight of a shadow following directly under the Fuma blade flying past him, which suddenly carved right across his chest and sent blood splattering through the air.

"Fuck!" Jiraiya shouted, jumping back faster than he ever had before when he saw San stop his swing. Glancing down at his chest when he landed on all fours, the hermit saw a deep scar had been carved right across his pectorals, obviously from the large Fuma blade that the man was wielding. _"But how? I avoided it."_ His gaze then shot upwards when he looked at San, who he could see was grinning at him. Jiraiya's expression then hardened into a glare when he figured it out. _"I see. He's using the_ _ **Kage Shuriken no Jutsu**_ (Shadow Shuriken Technique) _in conjunction with his taijutsu. He has a second Fuma Shuriken hidden in the shadow of the first one, which means I can't see it until the last second after he swings it."_

"Figured it out?" San asked, seeing the serious expression on the Sage's face and guessing that the man was now attempting to break down his technique. "Good. Because this won't be any fun if you weren't able to fight back."

Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya then slammed his hands together into a hand seal, a split second before his cheeks puffed out. _**"Katon: Endan!"**_ (Fire Release: Flame Bullet) He then spat out a massive fire ball, which shot towards San like the round from an artillery cannon.

The Fuma gang member however anticipated the technique and, spinning his giant shuriken, leapt up into the air, his weapon acting like helicopter blades and propelling him into the sky. As he watched the Sannin's fire ball strike a tor on the other side of the chasm and take out its top half in a fiery explosion, San then stuck his hand out with a grin.

All of a sudden, the three shuriken that he'd thrown at Jiraiya earlier and were still impaled in the floor suddenly shot out and flew at the hermit's legs. The blades then wrapped around the Sannin's right ankle, revealing to be attached to a set of wires. It wasn't until a second later that Jiraiya realized what'd happened, but by that time San had already given a hard yank and lifted the legendary ninja right off of the plateau.

With a yell of surprise, the white-haired warrior was sent hurtling through the air, before the airborne San whipped the large Sannin around and threw him into the cliff wall, burying him on the other side of the chasm away from his comrades. Before the dust could settle around Jiraiya's crash site, a barrage of white senbon unexpectedly came shooting out towards the airborne ninja, who speedily dodged them through use of his Fuma blade, performing an aerial barrel-roll at the same time.

OOO

Kushina meanwhile had taken up a hidden position on another peak behind the Crimson Star's former position, crouching against the wall with a kunai drawn. She glared towards the peak, watching the one remaining Yu continuing to hold her position, while Shen darted off to continue his engagement with Minato. Seeing as how the Fuma girl's back was turned to her position, the red-haired woman prepared for a strike.

However, just when the redhead was readying to move, she received one hell of a shock when, from out of her own shadow against the wall, Yu's face suddenly emerged. Grinning widely, the orange haired girl with the ox-horn cut and the mole under her right eye leered up at Kushina, who glanced down at her in shock.

"Surprise," Yu shouted, before her fist shot out of the shadow and decked Kushina in the chin, sending the jinchuriki flying off of the plateau and down towards another tor. The rest of Yu's body sprang out of the shadow and dropped down after the stricken leaf kunoichi, who then crashed into the top of the plateau above the raging river.

Tumbling along the rise, Kushina coughed out a bit of blood and pushed herself onto her hands and knees. When she glared across at the open area beside her to see her opponent touch down moments later, the jinchuriki's fists clenched.

" _ **Hiden: Kage Tenso."**_ (Secret: Shadow Transfer) Yu grinned confidently across at her foe as she watched Kushina rise up from the floor. At the same time the orange haired female drew her folded up Fuma blade and tapped it against the floor. "Looks like ace of spades trumps queen of diamonds, huh?"

Growling, Kushina then threw her hand out and pitched a cluster of shuriken at the woman, only to watch Yu suddenly sink into the ground via her own shadow. A split second later the same girl jumped out of the shadow to the redhead's right and thrust a kick into her face, sending the jinchuriki flying off of the plateau and a terrifying speed. While she was airborne, Kushina quickly threw her hand out against and sent a golden chain of chakra flying straight towards her opponent.

Spotting the fast-moving attack, Yu jumped out of the way, snapping her Fuma blade open and taking flight, just as her companion San had before.

OOO

While all these battles was raging on across the gorge, with each leaf ninja engaging a member of the _Crimson Star_ gang in their own respective ways, the leader of the Konoha contingent Minato, despite his reputation, was having a surprisingly tough time trying to keep up with his opponent. On the face of a nearby cliff and fighting along the rugged surface, the blond haired Jonin, his body covered in bruises, dirt and with a notable slash mark across his vest's torso, was dodging and avoiding the blindingly fast swings from his opponent.

Just like his fellow gang member, Shen was also using the _Kage Shuriken no Jutsu_ in time with his fighting style; concealing a second Fuma blade under or directly behind his first one every time he swung out at his adversary. As if his fighting style wasn't difficult enough to deal with already, as the Jonin mercenary was using a variety of elaborate spins, jumps, and corkscrew attacks to disorientate his opponent. During which time the giant windmill blade he was wielding as a melee weapon was spinning at random like a fast-moving propeller, making it difficult for the usually sharp-eyed Minato to land any form of counter attack.

Dodging a double-diagonal swing from Shen and then blocking a sideways shots from him with his three-pronged kunai, Minato then back flipped up the cliff and impaled his knife in the wall. When he stood up again he drew a second knife, at the same time kicking his stuck blade right towards his opponent's face. The Fuma gang member head slipped the blade and spun his giant windmill weapon behind him, before taking a swing at Minato. He saw the blond man vanish in another flash and teleport to the airborne knife, once again going for his blind spot and swinging down at the ninja.

But just like before, Shen's shadow jumped out of the ground and formed a black wall directly behind the man, blocking Minato's swing and allowing the Fuma blade user to spin around and slash out at the Konoha ninja. Sparks flew as the blond Jonin was sent tumbling down the cliff face, upon which he then stopped himself by sending chakra into his feet and sticking to the surface, skidding down along the rocky surface.

Twirling his Fuma shuriken around him, the cocky Shen grinned broadly. "Is that all you've got, Flash?"

The bruised up Minato huffed irritably and took another stance, a bead of sweat running down the side of his head. _"This man… he's strong…"_ Probably the strongest opponent he'd faced in a long time.

OOO

While the team leader from the hidden leaf struggled to figure out what to do, as he knew that he was at an extreme disadvantage against such an unorthodox opponent, across the chasm around a cluster of tors and stone towers, Mikoto was taking a hammering from her airborne foe.

Despite attempting to counter Mei's flying assault with her arrows and kunai, all of her efforts were being rendered completely useless, as the tallest member of the _Crimson Stars_ would knock her projectiles out of the air with her wind blasts and counter with a hail of metal. Having never encountered someone who could control this particular chakra nature so freely before, the Uchiha mother was having a tough time trying to work her way around it.

This eventually led to the woman taking a new and different course of action, one that she believed might work in her favor. Landing on one of the rock pillars making up their battlefield, Mikoto flew through hand seals and, taking aim at the woman hovering above her surrounded by a wall of Fuma shuriken copies, puffed her cheeks out. _**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**_ (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) She then exhaled sharply, unleashing an enormous ball of blue fire from her lips that rocketed up towards Mei's position at a terrifying speed.

Seeing the attack flying at her, the airborne woman smirked and retaliated in kind. Taking control of the winds suspending herself, the debris and the Fuma shuriken around her, she then thrust them towards the oncoming attack. The result was violent and catastrophic, the fireball detonating when it collided headlong with the rain of Fuma blades and causing an explosion to ripple across the canyon. But this didn't stop the remaining debris and Fuma shuriken clones from cutting through the explosion towards Mikoto's position.

The Uchiha mother barely had enough time to jump out of the way when the hail of weaponry and rubble struck her position, causing the top of the tor to explode. She let out a cry of shock as she was sent plummeting towards the river below.

Hearing the explosion and the woman's scream, Minato's eyes darted across the chasm fearfully. "MIKOTO!" He then quickly sprang after her, leaping from the cliff and abandoning his battle with Shen.

The leader of the _Crimson Stars_ on the other hand grinned and, cocking his arm back, threw the enormous shuriken weapon towards the falling Mikoto.

Spotting the Fuma blade fly past him at a blazing speed had the blond Jonin's eyes widen in panic, as he quickly drew one of his custom Hiraishin kunai and threw it towards Mikoto. His smaller weapon easily overtook the massive windmill blade and caught up to the falling kunoichi, with the pursuing Minato forming a hand seal and preparing to jump to it.

"Got yah!" Anticipating this move, the stationary Shen slapped his hands together and focused his chakra. _**"Futon: Reppusho!"**_ (Wind Release: Gale Palm) Pumping his wind style energy out through his pores caused a powerful blast of wind to shoot off of his body and funnel towards his airborne Fuma blade, striking it and causing the massive, spinning weapon to pick up speed and power. At the exact same time Minato teleported to his kunai in a golden flash.

It all happened in an instant.

The moment Minato reappeared directly alongside his knife and caught it, he quickly reached forward to grab Mikoto. As he did, a loud 'thump' and the sound of flesh being impaled rang out when Shen's giant Fuma blade, empowered by the man's wind attack, struck the blond Jonin in the back, a millisecond before he reached out to catch his teammate. Blood flew out of the wound when the ninja from the hidden leaf was effectively impaled by the weapon, causing an observing Kushina and Jiraiya's eyes to widen in horror when they saw the man get hit.

Mikoto saw this to, the kunoichi gaping fearfully up at Minato when she saw blood dribble out of his mouth and a pained look cross his face. "Minato! Y-You-" She was unable to finish her exclamation, as the wounded man suddenly wrapped his arms around her and turned them around in midair. Moments later the pair crashed into the raging torrents of the river below and vanished into the water.

"MINATO! MIKOTO!" Kushina shouted from atop her plateau, looking down towards the bottom of the gorge in shock when she saw the pair disappear into the rapids. She shook her head in disbelief, "No way." She then gasped and sprang away from her position, avoiding the cluster of kunai thrown down at her from her opponent, who was currently poking her head out of the shadow of another tower of rock nearby.

Quickly realizing that they were outnumbered and outgunned, Jiraiya, springing off of his tower of rock and heading in the direction the river was flowing, bit into his thumb, wiped it across his open palm, and then slapped his hands together. "KUSHINA! RUN!" he bellowed, warning the redhead across from him as he leapt into the air. _**"Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu!"**_ (Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer Technique) What followed immediately afterwards was a blast of white smoke exploding directly above the gorge, right over Mei's, Yu's, and San's positions.

While Kushina and Jiraiya quickly bailed out of there, heading down the gorge as fast as they could, Shen, still hanging off of the cliff face, looked up in shock as an enormous grey frog about the size of an apartment building, wearing a red vest and two katana sheathed on its back, dropped down from the sky to crash land in the gorge below.

The _Crimson Star_ gang members caught in the shadow of the plummeting animal quickly reacted, with Mei using a blast of wind to throw herself out of range. Yu meanwhile teleported via her shadows, while San, catching the cliff with his wires, yanked himself out of range as the amphibian dropped right down on top of the valley, crushing several dozen tors and towers of rock. As its immense form splashed down in the river and rocked the surrounding landscape, the giant frog then drew one of its swords and took a swing at Shen's position.

The leader of the gang growled and sprang out of the way, avoiding the frog's massive blade as it carved through the cliff and sent a blast of rubble pelting in all directions. As he leapt away, Shen quickly summoned another of his Fuma blades and, snapping it open, used it to propeller his way out of the canyon.

While the four enemy shinobi got out of range, the katana wielding amphibian continued to trash the chasm, taking swings at its small targets as they flew away like a couple of flies. After driving them off and destroying much of the surrounding cliffs, the frog then vanished in a giant puff of white smoke, leaving nothing but a massive crater in its wake.

The _Crimson Stars_ meanwhile landed safely at their end of the gorge, landing on top of the cliff and folding their Fuma blades back up. As they glared across the chasm and in the direction Jiraiya and Kushina retreated in, they then considered going after the group. But after some thought they quickly decided against it, with Shen making the final vote.

"They'll be back," the man stated.

A nod of understanding was his comrades' immediate response, before the four then turned around and looked up towards the sky. Moments later they saw a figure drop down from the clouds, plummeting towards them for about a few seconds before then crashing into the floor directly in front of them. Shen and his teammates then watched the unscratched form of their master Fuma Kotaro rise up, with the woman brushing several locks of her hair away.

Mei bowed to her and placed a hand over her chest. "Master."

"Did you get what you came for?" Yu asked, before then seeing the woman push her hand into her obi and pull out two small stones. When she held it up to her students, the orange haired girl with the ox-horns smiled. "Awesome."

"What about _Iwagakure_?" Shen asked, at the same time nodding in the direction of the village, where he could clearly see smoke billowing into the air.

Slipping the stones back into her pocket, Kotaro chuckled and turned her back on them, before beginning to walk away. "Oh, they're all busy doing clean up at the moment. It might be a little while before the higher ups muster enough shinobi to come after me… especially after what I did to their Kage." When her four students looked at one another nervously, wondering just how much chaos their sensei had actually managed to cause to the hidden village, the gang leader then glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "What about you four? Did you have fun out here while I was busy?"

San looked back at the woman with a grin. "More or less. Konoha sent a response to your challenge."

Kotaro then spun around with an excited glint in her eye. "Really? And…?"

Shen glanced down at the ruined valley behind them. "Well… two of them have gone for a bit of a swim, while the other members of their group have chased after them. It might be a few days before they catch up to us, since one of them now has a piece of metal lodged in his back."

Hearing this then prompted the white haired woman to shrug and cross her arms. "Oh well. It's no big deal. If those guys want to have a shot at fighting me somewhere down the line, then they're going to have to try a lot harder than that to get to me. After all, I'm not that easy." Kotaro's expression then became one of seriousness, as she faced her team with a smile. "I have another job for you guys."

The intently listening Mei frowned. "You know where the last Hoju stone is hidden, sensei?"

Kotaro nodded as she glanced between her students. "I want you guys to go to _Amegakure_ and pay Hanzo of the Salamander a little visit. His daughter currently has the third stone in her possession… so I would like you four to… _borrow_ her for a little while." When she saw the collection of smiles appear on her group's faces, the white-haired woman then placed a hand on her hip. "As for the lotus cradle… well…" Her eyes then turned skywards where, looking up through the blue of the sky, she saw the familiar shape of the planet's moon drift into view. Upon spotting it, the woman grinned. "It looks like I'm going to be taking a long walk…"

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


	5. The Hunt Arc - Moonlight Robbery

**Author's Note:** Another update to this story and another chapter in. Right now we're getting into the real thick of the conflict and the events that will inevitably shape the future that is the _ **Naruto: Ronin**_ storyline, as Minato and his friends take on the monster that is Fuma Kotaro. Just a heads-up, the next chapter for Ronin will be coming soon, as will some more one shots, which I'm looking forward to finishing.

Hope you all enjoy this next installment.

* * *

 **NARUTO**

 ** _The Wind Demon_**

 _Moonlight Robbery_

(Iwagakure)

(An hour later)

The _Village Hidden in the Stones_ was a scene of complete and utter ruin, as the entire town was not only still smoldering from their recent battle with Fuma Kotaro, but almost every single building in sight had been damaged in some way. Towers had been toppled, apartments were listing, houses had rooves and walls caved in, fires were still burning in some places, and a majority of the shinobi forces that'd been on station had suffered major and minor injuries, and had either been withdrawn or hospitalized.

This much applied for those that'd fought with Fuma Kotaro directly, as the medical bays and tents that'd been set up along the main roads were filled to the brim with the unconscious and gravely wounded. However, and this was something that the superiors noted following the end of the battle, was that despite all the damage done to the village there weren't any deaths at all. Even the men and women that had come to blows with the thief head to head were still alive, including the Tsuchikage, commander Kitsuchi and the captain of the Explosive Corp.

Speaking of, both the village leader and the captain had been hurried over to the main hospital, and were currently being tended to by an army of doctors and nurses. The rest had been spread out over the rest of the town.

While the Third Tsuchikage remained unconscious and connected up to an oxygen tank, at the same time the medical nin worked on his wounds with the mystical palm technique, the captain of the Explosive Corp was sitting up in her bed, her uniform in ruins, her left eye swollen over and her right arm in a sling. Needless to say she looked just as bad as Onoki was with the still visible cuts on his head, the shredded uniform, and the broken nose.

At least she had the strength and state of mind to speak.

"How is he?" the blonde Jonin Dana asked as she stared across at her village leader in concern.

"He'll live… he just needs some rest," the medical nin replied while running her hands down to his chest. "He has three cracked ribs, a sprained vertebrae in his upper and lower back, a mild concussion and a handful of lacerations and bruises. With his age and with my skills, it'll take a few days before most of these injuries can be fully healed. Until then the less moving around he does the better."

"Good," Dana sighed while turning her attention to the rest of the khaki hospital room around her, where she saw other high ranking shinobi bedridden and unable to move. The sight had her frown deeply. "That woman walked all over our village's defense and reserve forces like they were a team of Genin, hm. She may have used mostly taijutsu, but she was able to take out over forty-three percent of our battalions stationed inside our walls. What kind of monster is she?"

"The worst kind," a new voice spoke up from the room's doorway, drawing Dana and the medical team's attention towards it. When they looked, they saw the distinct form of Explosive Corp lieutenant Gari standing there with his arms crossed and a deep frown on his face. As soon as he had their attention, the man walked in. "Most of our men were incapacitated at close-range and rendered unfit for military duty for the next few days, including commander Kitsuchi. But the biggest hit came when she repelled our long-range artillery strikes and sent them right back at us. All of our big shuriken trebuchet and catapults have been destroyed… and with most of the high ranking officers also taken out, our command structure has been left in shambles. Needless to say… we're in a pretty shit situation."

"Gari-san," Dana spoke, her expression remaining calm as she watched the man stop in front of her bed.

The spiky haired man in the standard Iwa uniform nodded to her as he crossed his arms. "How are you doing, captain? That arm okay?"

Placing a hand over her sling, the blond woman glanced down and sighed. "Yes… thankfully. I'm still in one piece. I was able to keep my distance and fly around that woman for a couple minutes, but she managed to get in close and take me out. That woman is ridiculously quick."

Gari frowned as he tapped his bicep with his finger uncomfortably. "I was stuck on the perimeter trying to chase down the rest of her gang. I wish I could've been there. If I was, maybe I could've landed a couple of decent shots on her."

"No. You would've been taken out just like the rest of us," Dana responded, glaring up at the man in front of her forebodingly. "She took some of the best C1 and C2 that I could throw at her, and she still kept on coming. I doubt even your explosive fists would be able to put her down."

This served to put a smirk on Gari's face, "Sounds like a theory worth testing."

"G-Gari… san…"

Hearing the voice from beside them, both Dana and her subordinate looked across to the Third Tsuchikage's bed, where they saw their great leader and elder peering across at them. Trembling as he stood up, the leader of the hidden stone village reached up with a shaky hand and removed his oxygen mask, pushing it down so that his voice wasn't obstructed.

"Tsuchikage-sama," the two Jonin standing and lying nearby spoke.

As soon as he'd removed the mask, the bandaged up Onoki groaned, "I want… you to assemble… a company of two hundred of our strongest, most able-bodied shinobi… and our jinchuriki Roshi… to hunt down… Fuma Kotaro." He then gave a cough and gritted his teeth to bite back the pain that shot through him from doing so. "We cannot… allow her… to find the remaining pieces of the wishing jewel. You have to stop her… by any means necessary. This is… a direct order… from your Tsuchikage."

Shock was the first wave of emotion that hit every single person within earshot of the leader. But once that moment had passed, everyone eventually calmed down, with Gari straightening up and giving a firm nod of understanding.

"Yes, sir."

OOO

(Nightfall)

Many miles down the river snaking its way through the Land of Earth, far outside of the war-scarred _Iwagakure_ , a small orange light could be seen flickering through the trees of a thick, evergreen wood. Moving in through the brush and into the small clearing where the light was, a tent had been setup next to a fireplace and, sitting inside the tent, Mikoto and Kushina could be seen tending to a heavily injured Minato, who was currently lying topless, on his stomach and across a sleeping bag.

While Mikoto worked on the man's back with her hands, which were both glowing green through use of the mystical palm technique, Kushina was currently using disinfectants and gear from her first aid bag to clean his wound and wipe up the blood. Judging from the gaping scar across his right shoulder and moving diagonally down his back towards his spine, the wound he'd taken in their previous battle had been quite severe.

The cause of said injury was currently lying on the ground a few feet away; the folded up, custom-made 'Shadow Windmill' Fuma Shuriken that Shen had lobbed at Mikoto, but had in fact been aiming for Minato instead.

Hissing in pain as he felt his injury slowly heal, the stricken Minato glanced up at his wife, who was quietly going about her work as well. "H-How does it look?"

"Really? You're seriously asking me that question?" the redhead asked.

"Just… give it to me straight. Does it… look as bad as it feels?" Minato continued on, his muscles tensing when another bolt of pain shot up his neck to his head. "Ow…"

"If it's along the lines of stinging and gaping, then yes. It looks as bad as it's probably feeling right now," Kushina replied, half serious and half amused, at the same time watching Mikoto work over the directly affected area. Slowly, but surely, she watched as the wound on her husband's back slowly closed up. "You're so lucky that your momentum was moving in the direction of the blow, otherwise that blade would've torn right through you."

"I can thank my vest for the extra protection," Minato coughed out as the throbbing continued.

"And the fact that you timed your fall to take that hit. It was thanks to your quick thinking that you're in as good a shape as you could've been," Mikoto spoke up, her expression remaining unchanged from its serious one as she continued her analysis.

"Honestly, Minato. I never knew you were the kind of person who would let their guard down and get tagged so easily… _twice_ in the same battle I might add," Kushina growled, continuing to give her lover a scolding while he was forced to lie there and take it. Removing her hands and cloth from his back, the redhead then frowned down at him. "You knew how dangerous those guys were. How could you let this happen?"

"That man wasn't just fast. He was also smart and strong to boot. Shen knew that I would break off from our engagement and throw myself over the edge to save the life of a comrade, especially after they managed to separate us so easily at the beginning of the fight," the blond man spoke, doing his best to break down the situation and how it unfolded one step at a time. "The fact that they knew all of our moves and abilities inside-out while we didn't know a single thing about them gave their group a massive leg up over ours, allowing them to catch us off guard. Their teamwork was superb."

"To be fair, we all screwed up back there," Mikoto spoke up in defense of Minato, at the same time glancing across at her best friend to see the jinchuriki looking up at her as well. Deactivating her medical jutsu when she saw that a majority of Minato's flesh had healed over, the Uchiha allowed herself a momentary break before continuing. "We underestimated our enemy's strength, thinking that they would play by the same rules and tactics that most other village-based shinobi would follow. But those four didn't fight like the conventional Jonin teams we're normally up against. They act like an efficient kill squad, but their attacks were unorthodox and aggressive, relying on forceful and oppressive strategies to maneuver us into position and play to their strengths."

"Their techniques are also insane. I can't remember the last time I fought against a shinobi who could use shadows and feints in the manner that Shen did," Minato stated, the pain in his back finally lessening as Kushina proceeded to apply patches and bandages to the affected area. "I guess them being Kotaro's lackeys isn't just for show. All of them are experienced, well-trained killers."

It was this statement that had Mikoto freeze for a moment as a rather daunting thought crossed her mind. "Shit. If the four of us struggled to take on Kotaro's gang… then how the hell are we going to fight their boss?"

Her question immediately had everyone inside that tent stop. When Minato and Kushina thought about it, they too saw the hopelessness of a battle against the thief. If they managed to beat and get past the members of the _Crimson Stars_ and confronted their leader on the battlefield, what kind of hell would they inevitably be subjected to? The very idea of actually coming up against that monster sent a chill down their spines, whereas the blond Jonin on the ground could only wince at the stinging pain that went up his back instead.

"W-We'll think about it when the time comes. But for now… we have to move," Minato groaned at the same time trying to get up, only to fall flat on his face after only getting three inches off of the sleeping bag.

Kushina immediately placed her hand on her panting husband's shoulder. "Don't. You still haven't fully recovered yet."

"Give your body time to heal first," Mikoto also said, joining her best friend in settling down their all too eager leader. "As you are right now, you're barely able to throw a kunai, let alone stand. So just rest for a couple of days."

"We can't," Minato hissed, peering up at the two women through a single eye, while the other one was shut from the pain. "By now, K-Kotaro-san has… probably already left _Iwagakure_ far behind… and is now on her way to the location… of the next piece of the wish fulfilling jewel. We have… to go after her…"

"Well, I'm sorry to say this, but we can't," Kushina stated, keeping a firm glare fixed on her lover. "There's nothing we can do about this right now, Minato. Both you and Mikoto took a massive dive into a river and almost drowned trying to get yourselves out. That's not even counting the fact you have a sword wound in your back and a massive chunk of your stamina gone. No. We're staying here until the both of you are back up to a hundred percent fighting shape."

Minato growled and clenched his fingers around the sleeping bag beneath him. "That'll take at least a week. Gah… we can't… we can't wait that long." He then looked up at Mikoto with a clear sense of urgency and determination in play. "One of us has to try and go after them."

Over the next few seconds neither one of the members of the group said anything, as Kushina and Mikoto were quickly considering the gravity of the situation and what was at stake. However, just before any of them could speak up, another voice suddenly chimed in from outside. "I'll go." When the trio looked up, they saw Jiraiya standing outside with his arms crossed and his back against the edge of the tent. "Let's face it; neither one of you is in any fit condition to chase after Fuma Kotaro and her gang. Not only is Minato injured and Mikoto waterlogged, but you took a couple of good hits in that fight as well, Kushina. Out of the four of us, I'm the only one good enough to continue this mission."

Upon hearing Jiraiya's words of certainty, Kushina's eyes quickly went to his chest, where she could see the bandages wrapped around the shuriken wound underneath his shirt and vest. The sight had her frown in concern. "A-Are you sure, Jiraiya?"

The white haired man smiled and nodded, before leaning in to look around at the trio. "Yeah. Don't worry about me. I've run solo ops like this more times than the three of you put together, so I know what I'm doing." Stepping into the tent, the man leant down and picked up the enormous, folded up Fuma blade resting on the ground. After analyzing it, he then sealed it inside the fuinjutsu patch under his sleeve. "I'll track down the _Crimson Stars_ and see if I can stop them from getting the next Hoju stone. I'll rendezvous with you guys later."

Hearing this then drew an affirmative nod from Minato. "Just be careful out there, sensei." He then cracked the man a smile. "We wouldn't want you running into any trouble out there."

"Hey. Trouble is my middle name," Jiraiya chuckled, at the same time reaching forward to bump fists with his student, who did so through a small bit of effort. After which the man faced the two women sitting on either side of the young male. "Look after this tadpole, would you… and keep an eye on the perimeter."

Mikoto smiled, "Don't worry. We will."

It was then a glint of mischief suddenly flickered through Jiraiya's eyes as a devilish grin suddenly crossed his lips. "And most importantly, try not to moan and scream while you're in this part of the earth country. I know better than anyone that incredibly tense situations often lead to fits of passion, so be sure that the three of you don't make too much noise when the clothes finally come off and-"

Before the man could even finish, a now noticeably flared up Kushina growled and, bringing her fist back, decked the man in the face. "GET OUT OF HERE, YOU PERVERTED SAGE!" Her blow caused a loud and comical 'thump' to echo out as she knocked the white haired man out of the tent, over the fireplace and into the woods, where the elite Sage ended up crashing painfully in the thick brush.

As the leaves and twigs settled down around him, the slightly dazed Jiraiya gave a low groan as he pushed himself back to his feet. Ignoring the newly made fist imprint in his cheek, he then smiled back at the tent, where she saw Kushina promptly close the flaps. "Well… at least I know they'll be fine without me." With one last brush of his hand, the man with the giant scroll and wooden sandals crouched down and sprang into the air, disappearing into the canopy.

Breathing a heavy sigh, a visibly frazzled Kushina then turned around to face the two remaining members of her team. "I swear, if I have to hear another one of his lewd jokes, I'll…" She then blinked in surprise when she suddenly noticed the deep blush on Mikoto's face as the woman squirmed uncomfortably on the spot, as well as the light shade of scarlet on Minato's cheeks as he looked away with a sheepish grin. After looking between the two, the redhead groaned and threw her arms out. "Come on, guys! Seriously?!"

XXX

(Three days later)

Rain. Constant rain.

That was the best way to describe the land and territory surrounding _Amegakure_ , which was currently going through its heaviest downpour to date. With thunder and lightning dancing in the skies overhead, and the lakes and rivers surrounding the main village overflowing with tides of water, this meant that everyone, from farmers to fishermen, were hunkering down and taking cover from the monsoon.

Though everyone living in this mega city of a village was used to this kind of weather, there were still days and nights where they knew that outdoor activities and chores would be impossible. It also meant that security was much harder to maintain, as anybody would be able to walk into the rain town without being detected. But this didn't seem to worry any of the guards or shinobi on duty, as the threat of invasion or infiltration into this sector was severely low, mostly due to one particular person living here.

Up in his tower in the center of the village, inside a warm, traditional looking apartment in contrast to the rusty, industrialized buildings outside, the infamous Hanzo of the Salamander, dressed in a dark blue formal kimono, white obi and his signature breathing mask, was sitting cross legged in the middle of the chamber surrounded by half a dozen of his village's Jonin. What's more, perched comfortably in his lap, her dark blond hair styled in a hime cut, dressed in a pink kimono with cloud patterns on it, and reading from a large scroll, was his one and only daughter.

Around her neck as well, she wore a very simple yet elegant necklace, with a single stone hanging from the end of it. This simple gem, polished and bearing a flame carving in it, stood out above her bright dress.

"…and so after their long journey, Tannin and Sakura, the girl that our hero had rescued from Emperor Mano's keep, arrived at the port and the boat that would take them safely across to the new continent in the west," the girl read, the look in her eyes showing she was completely enamored with the tale. After looking over the pictures, she then unfurled the scroll to its next section, showing another part of the story. "She boarded the vessel with him, spurred on by the desire to see his world." The child then looked up at the man reading the story with her and gazed at him through sparkling, purple eyes filled with hope. "Do you think they will arrive in the new world safely, papa?"

The Kage in the respirator chuckled in a deep voice as he placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I'm not sure, Amaya. I guess we'll just have to read on in order to find out."

The child giggled as she turned enthusiastically back to the scroll and opened it up further. "I really do hope they make it to Shamballa."

" _ **Oh, they make it to Shamballa alright,"**_ a deep, haunting voice suddenly filled the room, causing everyone to jump. _**"But… I won't spoil you on the details."**_

The moment Hanzo and his guards' heads shot up, every single lantern in the room, including the fire burning brightly in the hearth, was extinguished by a large, ghostly shadow that speedily did a lap of the entire chamber. The moment all the lights were put out one after the other, sending smoke trails through the air, every single person present was then drowned out by a chorus of four voices laughing in unison, with the one that'd spoken up first lingering the longest.

Pushing the scroll out of his daughter's hands, Hanzo then stood up, pushed his young daughter behind him, and glared around the room. Drawing a kunai as well, he watched as his six guards formed a defensive circle around him at the room's multiple entrances, but were unable to see anything due to the pitch black.

The conditions didn't stop the lead voice from talking, as they then made another remark that had a cold chill run down everyone's spines. _**"If you're wondering about the guards on the other levels, don't bother. They're all dead."**_

" _ **As will the rest of you if you decide to try anything funny,"**_ a woman's voice filled the air.

Sweat breaking out on the faces of the Jonin, the calm yet incredibly defensive Hanzo gritted his teeth through his mask, at the same time his daughter clung to his robe fearfully. "Who are you? Show yourselves, you cowards!"

" _ **And why would we want to do that?"**_ the woman asked. _ **"Isn't hiding well rule number one for being a shinobi?"**_

" _ **Aside from all the obvious other requirements… such as being able to kill everything and everyone standing in your way,"**_ the man's voice chimed in once more, which was laced with an obvious hint of malice. _**"But you would know all about that, wouldn't you, Hanzo Hattori… otherwise known as Hanzo of the Salamander."**_

Her fingers tightening around her father's robe, little Amaya looked up at the man standing protectively over her. "Papa… I'm scared."

"It'll be okay, sweetheart," the Kage in the breathing mask whispered back, at the same time wrapping a hand around her shoulders. Turning his attention back to the shadows of the room as the pitter-patter sounds of heavy rainfall continued to echo outside, Hanzo then spoke in a firm voice. "While I admire your boldness, any shinobi brave enough to cross into our borders without permission had better be ready to face the full brunt of _Amegakure's_ wrath… especially someone foolish enough to break into my home."

The male voice chuckled. _**"Well now. That actually sounds quite exciting."**_

Kunai flashing under the glint of a small trace of light, Hanzo and his guard took battle-ready positions. "What do you want?"

" _ **Nothing really,"**_ the voice replied, pausing for a moment before a lighthearted chuckle filled the air. _**"Oh. Except your daughter."**_

Before Hanzo could even react, Amaya, who was practically hugging his leg, suddenly gave a scream of fright when she was grabbed from behind by a set of powerful arms. Her father attempted to grab her and attack the orange haired girl with the ox horn hairstyle, but was unexpectedly kicked away by what he could only describe as a living shadow that jutted out of the floor between them. He was then forced to watch as his daughter was literally pulled into the floor by her female kidnapper.

Rushing forward following the surprise attack, an alarmed Hanzo roared and tried to reach for his daughter's hand, "AMAYA!" But he was too late.

When Amaya disappeared into the tatami mats, the six Jonin in the room then gave collective cries and yelps of shock when all of their limbs and torsos were unexpectedly strung up in midair by a series of translucent wires, which fanned across the entire chamber in an intricate web of immobilizing death. Hanzo himself, sensing the attack, was able to slice through the wires by summoning a length of water from the air, transform it into a blade on his kunai, and slice through the netting that attempted to ensnare him from behind.

The moment Hanzo fended off the attack, a large, fast-moving Fuma Shuriken came smashing through the living room window. The wooden shoji fitting was reduced to a shower of paper and splinters as the enormous weapon whizzed around the entire chamber and sliced through all six of the strung-up guards, killing them, before boomeranging back to the window.

Eyes following the weapon, the surprised Hanzo then saw the weapon return to the hand of a man perched on his windowsill. Seeing the turban-wearing face of Shen smirking back at him from underneath the downpour, the Kage then noticed the man was holding his daughter under one arm, her hands bound by rope and her mouth gagged.

Hearing Amaya's muffled cry through the cloth and seeing her writhe under his grip, an enraged Hanzo rushed forward. "GIVE HER BACK! AMAYAAAAA!" Before he could reach the window however, the man suddenly caught the sound and sight of a spark. Eyes shooting down, he suddenly saw his entire floor had been covered by explosive tags, all of which had ignited.

Grinning, Shen then leapt away from the window and, unfurling his giant shuriken, set it into a fast spin that then lifted him into the sky, a split second before the building's floor behind him was lit up by a massive explosion. As smoke and flames belched into the rainy sky, the airborne _Crimson Star_ leader was then joined by his three companions, all of whom were using their giant Fuma Shuriken to helicopter their way out of the village.

Leveling out with her fellow female compatriot in the sky as they weaved their way through the towering buildings and the pelting rain, the orange haired Yu grinned across at Mei. "That was easier than I thought."

"Yeah. Well… we're not out of the woods just yet," the tall, stoic kunoichi responded as she and her friends slowly began their descent after passing over the village's main lake.

Landing on the muddy shore on the other side of the lagoon, the four individuals dressed in black retracted their weapons and sprinted into the woods. For a few minutes they traveled, leaping through wet branches and blasting rain. It was only after making their way through the thicket that the second male member of the group, San, picked up something on his radar and glared to the right.

"We have incoming," the man with the tattooed cheeks informed.

Catching onto his warning, as well as the sound of an approaching projectile, Mei then held a hand out and unleashed a blast of wind. The gale she fired from her palm knocked the dozen kunai flying at them from the trees out of the air, before the _Crimson Star_ gang made for the ground. Touching down on the edge of a clearing, the group of four then watched as over a dozen figures suddenly leapt from the trees and landed on the other side of the vicinity.

Noticing they were all dressed in high-collar black robes, shinobi combat armor, and were armed with a variety of different weapons, the kidnappers quickly took notice of the three individuals in the center. One was a young woman with short blue hair tied into a bun, with purple mascara, orange eyes and a flower in her hair. The other was a boy with short red hair and purple eyes with an unusual ring-pattern in it. And the third and obvious leader of the troop, was a boy with orange spiky hair and brown eyes, which he had set firmly on their group.

It was this very same person who stepped forward and slammed a sword into the ground. "The _Crimson Star_ gang, if I'm not mistaken," he spoke in a tone of voice that matched his youthful appearance. "Where are you four going in such a hurry?"

Skimming the platoon of shinobi over for a moment and taking note of their headbands with the four parallel lines on it, Mei then narrowed her eyes and spoke. "They're not regular _Amegakure_ shinobi. Their uniforms don't match those from Hanzo's faction."

"I believe these young upstarts are that peacekeeping group I've been hearing a lot about recently… the Akatsuki organization," Yu also spoke with interest.

After staring at the group for a moment, the sharp-eyed San then spoke to his compatriots. "Most of them are pretty ordinary, but the three in the middle are incredibly strong… especially the one with red hair. If my eyes aren't deceiving, I believe those are _Rinnegan_ he has jammed into his sockets." He added to this by nodding towards the one with the purple eyes accentuated by the concentric ring pattern.

Spotting it as well, Shen then cracked a smirk and shouldered the now unconscious Amaya over his shoulder. "Well, what do you know? Those _are_ the legendary eyes of the Sage of Six Paths. I guess you learn something new every day." After taking a headcount of the people in front of them and seeing them bring their weapons around in preparation for a fight, the turban-wearing gang leader nodded toward Yu. "We've still got an appointment to keep. Think you can handle these kids on your own?"

Grinning broadly, the girl then snapped open her giant Fuma Shuriken and stepped forward. "As long as they don't break in the first few seconds, I suppose I could play with them for a little while." She then waved back to her companions as she moved out into the clearing. "You three go on ahead. I'll meet up with you at the rendezvous point." Sensing her brothers and sister nod and spring back into the forest, the cheerful looking Yu then stopped in the middle of the grove and rested a hand on her hip. She then pointed one end of her four-pronged weapon at Yahiko, whom she could see was glaring straight at her. "So handsome… think you and your gang has what it takes to fight Yu 'The Shadow Crawler' head to head?"

As the rest of his gang set themselves into fighting stances, with Konan summoning a set of paper shuriken while Nagato drew a kunai, Yahiko kicked his sword up into a tight grip and grinned back at the woman. "It's worth a shot. But we'll never know unless we try."

Yu chuckled as a rather dark glint crossed her eyes, "A word of advice… try not to bite off more than you can chew." When the youngster and his squad then rushed forward to attack, the young woman responded by cocking her arm back and sending her giant shuriken spinning right into their formation…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Inside an enormous, grand chamber of red, gold and blue, in a large castle situated in the heart of an artificial celestial object, chaos and panic was being brought about to all of the residents within the structure.

In a flurry of courage and desperation, a group of four pale individuals dressed in high-collar white robes and single-shoulder cloaks, attempted to blindside a white haired woman in a loose-fitting, purple kimono, who had somehow managed to enter their most sacred and inaccessible of sanctuaries. With their main hall breached and their main defenses failing one after the other, the reserve forces on station were quick to respond to the intruder.

Since the group of four men and women had their eyes shut, it seemed like their planned assault was doomed to end in disarray and embarrassment. However, by the way they moved and darted across the room at such a speed, at the same time avoiding the bodies of their fallen comrades, it was safe to say they had no problems operating through this manner.

Still, despite their miracle-powered coordination, their capabilities didn't exactly mean their attacks would be a success.

Attempting to land blows at close range, the group of closed-eyed, robed individuals all struck the woman from multiple directions, only to suddenly get blasted away a couple of feet from their target by a gust of wind that kicked up around her and sent them flying across the hall. While two of the robed defenders slammed into the massive stone pillars supporting the roof, the others went tumbling across the tiled floor, before eventually sliding to a stop into respective unconscious heaps.

Looking as though she wasn't bothered by their presence in the slightest, the still smiling Kotaro Fuma elegantly continued her way down the towering hall. Her bare feet lightly padding across the tiles, the woman stepped over one of the groaning, defeated men who'd tried to stop her, and heedlessly turned a corner. Leaving an entire chamber filled with multiple bodies in her wake, indicating that the defense force had been utterly annihilated, the woman proceeded down a random corridor on her way to the next part of the castle.

On her way, Kotaro was then set upon by another group of individuals, this time children dressed in indoor working clothing.

When they sprinted at her, the kunoichi did away with them with a swift stroke of her hand and another blast of unknown force, which sent the swarm of adolescent assailants slamming into the walls. Instead of splatting against them like humans would, these individuals smashed into multiple pieces, indicating they were some kind of puppet army. Raising an eyebrow at the shattered mannequins, Kotaro chose instead to ignore them and continued on her way.

Passing by another one of the castle's massive windows, the white-haired woman in the robe took a moment to glance outside. When she saw a large mountain float by in the golden vacuum of eternal dusk, Kotaro shrugged and kept on walking. "So much to see, yet so little time. It's a shame." A smile stretched across her rosy red lips. "I was really looking forward to exploring and looting this place."

Following the self-made map in her head down a couple more of the extravagantly designed corridors, the woman soon happened upon a massive door. Undeterred by its size, she lifted a foot and, with a great deal of force, kicked it in. Almost as soon as she did so she was attacked by multiple floating spheres of glowing chakra fired from the two guards standing on the other side of the barrier. The first four she dodged and repelled effortlessly, before then dispelling the next barrage with a powerful blast of her own chakra. Kotaro then thrust a hand forward and towards the two robed men that were attacking her.

The guards with long black hair gasped as they were suddenly seized by an invisible force and levitated into the air. After flailing about uselessly, they were then pulled towards their target before being thrown across the room at breakneck speeds. When they collided with the wall on the other end, they then dropped to the floor like a couple of potato sacks. Landing with two loud, simultaneous thuds, they were easily dispatched.

"Please… there is no need for further violence," a deep, calm voice from the middle of the room suddenly spoke, drawing Kotaro's attention towards the center. Briefly skimming over the lavishly decorated dining room space, from the massive window, to the support pillars, and to the various pottery standing against the walls, the woman's eyes soon landed on a long table, covered by a white sheet, and various plates and cutlery. When she reached the end of the bench with her gaze, she then spotted a middle-aged man with long white, spiky hair, mustache and beard, and a young woman with brown hair sitting in the chair alongside him. Though both had their eyes closed and had obviously been in the middle of eating, they were still looking at their intruder with their utmost attention. "You've done enough. We do not wish to fight you."

Grunting at the old man's statement, Kotaro then approached the table at her own leisure. "Tell that to the lackeys you had standing guard outside." Stopping when she reached it, the woman then stared down the length of the desk to the two worried looking individuals on the other side. "I'm guessing through power of deduction that you two are the leaders of the _Otsutsuki Branch_ family, correct?"

"We are," the woman, obviously the wife, responded cautiously.

Smiling, Kotaro then placed a hand over her ample bosom and bowed to the pair in greeting. "My name is Fuma Kotaro; also known as 'The Wind Demon' and 'The Untraceable Shadow'. You've probably heard about me and my exploits down on the planet below, as well as the various crimes I've committed across the nations." Her eyes then narrowed mischievously upon the two Otsutsuki in the room. "I've also learned a great deal about your people from the bodies of ancient texts that have turned up in recent years, as well as journal entries from top secret Hyuuga diaries I'd managed to pilfer in the last decade."

The elderly leader with the pointed beard lowered his head warily. "And what is it that you want with us?"

"The truth? Not a thing," Kotaro responded, before reaching into her obi and drawing the two Hoju stones she already had in her possession. As soon as she held them out, the two objects then began to glow their respective gold and red colors, filling the room with an eerie light. "I'm only here to collect what was given to Hamura centuries ago by the humans of old." Directing her gaze towards the rest of the room, the woman then uttered a single foreign word. " _ **Zhan!"**_ (Light)

At first appearing confused, the two heads of the branch family of the Otsutsuki Clan then felt a warm glow against their faces. Drawn to the source of an unnatural light, the three people in the room then turned towards the far side of the chamber. There, sitting atop a shelf on a pedestal, surrounded by a series of other seamless household objects- vases, chalices, lanterns, utensils- there sat a simple dish, with its rim and base carved into the shape of lotus petals. The object shone a bright white light, which filled the chamber and beat against the intricate carvings along the walls.

Smirking at being able to find the dish in the exact spot the two stones led her to, Fuma Kotaro made her way over to the desk. Not even caring that she was showing her back to the two people whose house she'd just broken into, the woman stopped at the cupboard and picked up the glowing plate.

Narrowing his blind gaze upon the woman where he knew she was, the leader of the Otsutsuki Clan spoke. "No one on Earth is supposed to know about the existence of the _**Cintamani**_."

Kotaro chuckled as she analyzed the small dish, which looked to be an ideal holder for incense sticks. "It's almost next to impossible to keep information and knowledge of such a legendary artefact hidden from plain sight. You just need to know the right places to look… just like I did. It was not that difficult a mystery to decode."

Not liking this development one bit, the woman sitting beside the man then slowly raised her hand and began gathering chakra at her palm. She then stopped seconds later when she heard the person she was aiming for speak up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kotaro stated calmly, while at the same time pocketing the two jewels already in her possession. Sensing the female at the table shirk at her statement, the white haired intruder turned and grinned. "Your abilities to absorb and cancel out chakra are useless against me. So unless you want to end up in intensive care, I suggest you stay right where you are."

Wisely choosing to follow this instruction, the woman lowered her arm back to the table. Her husband meanwhile merely stared back at the thief as calmly as he could, while doing his best not to draw upon her wrath. "Hamura was entrusted with that artifact years ago by the monks of an old Buddhist temple from the continent, before he and his brother chose to go their separate ways. Our ancestor took the lotus cradle with him and brought it here so as to ensure that no human on Earth or tennin on the Moon would ever be able to unite the four pieces of the wishing-jewel. To do so would not only grant the wielder of the gem unimaginable powers, but also the ability to create and destroy life freely as they see fit."

Kotaro grinned broadly as she once again approached the table, admiring the plate one last time before quietly slipping it between her breasts. Keeping it protruding from her chest in that position gave her an alluring and powerful sense of dominance, which she was not afraid to stretch in her current situation. "Then that would make this the ultimate treasure, wouldn't it?" Stopping a few paces from the couple, the rogue kunoichi leered. "Being the voracious and insatiable person that I am, I simply couldn't resist going after such an impossible relic. Simply acquiring all the pieces alone would make me the greatest thief in all of history."

Hearing this then caused the clan head to stare at her curiously. "What is it that you want to accomplish from acquiring the wishing-jewel? What will you ask of it?"

"To destroy all life on earth? To rule over it? To gain the powers of a God?" the woman asked, her voice filled with hostility in the face of present danger. "What selfish, soulless goal does a self-centered human like yourself wish to gain from such a quest?"

Kotaro glanced back at the woman with a smirk. "It is true that I am selfish. Yes. However, what I want to ask the jewel is nothing as trivial as monetary gain or the ability to control life. Only someone like Kaguya Otsutsuki would ever lower and debase themselves to such a level." Seeing the pair's shocked expressions only had the woman's grin widened. "What I want is infinitely more valuable."

The Otsutsuki male leader frowned. "What is it?"

Just when it seemed like the white/blonde haired woman was going to answer, she then lifted her finger and tapped the side of her nose teasingly. "Spoilers." Sensing the duo's respective disappointments and suspicious, the kunoichi then turned to the female Otsutsuki and frowned. "Oh… and I wouldn't be too quick to judge a person simply because they are of a different race, lady… especially from where you're sitting. Living up here on the moon like Gods, away from the nurturing light of earth, surrounded by lifeless puppets, and unable to interact with anybody else other than yourselves. You and your people are simply detaching yourselves from us for no reason, without even bothering to see what the rest of the world has to offer." When the two heads of the clan glanced at one another thoughtfully, Kotaro remained silent and serious for a moment, before then speaking up one last time. "Allow me to impart this one last piece of wisdom to you. _What's true for the group is also true for the individual. Overspecialize and you breed in weakness. It's slow death_." Cracking a smile, she then bowed. "Enjoy your evening."

The two Otsutsuki Clan members then watched Kotaro's body break apart into a cloud of cherry blossom petals, which cascaded to the floor and left the space she'd been standing in moments before empty. When a light breeze gently carried some of the petals across the cold tiles, the woman's signature giggle filled the room before a chilling silence followed. Once peace and quiet was returned to the castle situated in the center of the moon, the only trace of Kotaro's presence to the area were a couple of flower petals, a string of wounded bodies, and a pair of now conflicted Otsutsuki Clan leaders.

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_


	6. Crisis Arc - Calm Before the Storm

**NARUTO:** **MAOYŪ**

 ** _The Wind Demon_**

 _Calm Before the Storm_

(The following night)

(Land of Earth)

Completely unaware of the events transpiring beyond the forest where they were currently camping out, Minata, Mikoto and Kushina were still locked in a state of rest and recovery. With his back healing at a steady rate thanks to his hours of rest and the help from Mikoto's mystical palm technique, the blond hero of Konoha was well on his way to reaching a hundred percent fighting fitness.

However, since the process was taking small hits out of his stamina, the Jonin wasn't quite ready to get back out on the field just yet, and had to settle for hanging around their temporary base of operations until he was allowed to move. Thanks to his wife's stern yet gentle hand, Minato was not going anywhere anytime soon.

So for the last four days he was forced to lie or sit by the tent, watching the two women go about the place, taking turns in doing jobs and performing tasks. While one of them stood guard from up high in the trees, the other would go out hunting or fishing, and also collect wood for their fire. They muffled the smoke through use of special stones taken from the area, which could absorb the fumes and allow them to camp out safely without fear of being spotted.

They were also incredibly wary of any sensor shinobi that might happen to be in the vicinity, as _Iwagakure_ had quite a few of them in their forces. Thanks to Kushina's skills at forging and working seals, they were able to form a barrier around their site to stop outside forces from tracking them. This allowed them to take it easy and to focus on regaining their strength and their thoughts.

Since their first night here, things had been incredibly quiet. The days had been long, the food had been plentiful, and the trio were fortunate enough to have not crossed paths with any other shinobi. That last bit they were incredibly grateful for, mostly due to their combined diligence.

While Kushina and Mikoto took turns in keeping watch, Minato spent his time resting in the tent and meditating. He also spent that time sharpening his mind, working on strategies that they could use against the _Crimson Star_ gang and later Fuma Kotaro. Even though he had very little to work with by way of not knowing the full capabilities of Kotaro or her cronies, the man was determined to come up with as many options and fallback plans as possible. With the fate of the world resting on their shoulders, he needed to put everything he had into his thoughts, so that they could defeat the Fuma gang and save their futures.

In between long sessions of sleep and meditation, Minato was also able to spend time with his wife and his close friend Mikoto. Though it was briefly awkward at times, due to their precarious sleeping conditions, the trio were able to live it up just like they did back in their youth. Reenacting the period when they were starry-eyed, ambitious Chunin, the three of them caught up, talked, and spent time that was otherwise lost in their work and family commitments.

For Minato, it was a real treat to be able to catch up with Mikoto; a person whom he'd been close with for so many years and trusted above all others. But what's more, it was even better to spend time with his wife, who he loved and cared for with all his heart.

The best part though was being able to watch Kushina and Mikoto train. Since they were stuck in this part of the countryside with nothing but time and themselves to occupy their empty schedule, it was no surprise when on their second day in the kunoichi decided to use the mornings and afternoons to polish up their skills. It not only made for a series of thrilling contests on the edge of the clearing, it also gave the male Jonin on the team something to watch and enjoy.

No matter how many times he saw them work, Minato was always deeply impressed and thrilled to see the two women closest to him in his life showing off their strengths and skills. Her abilities with a bow aside, Mikoto Uchiha was also a superb kenjutsu and taijutsu practitioner, whereas his wife was a master in both the latter and the art of kusarigamajutsu –the use of chain weapons. Each of them had a different and unique way of training themselves in the use of ether, yet they also shared some of the same basic practices.

When fighting separately the two women were masters, but together their teamwork and rivalry was absolutely sublime. Minato could say without a doubt that he'd never seen such a strong combination of ferocity, passion, thought, and grace forged into a single pairing before. Watching them spar the other day and clash weapons with one another had the man's chest swell and spirit surge.

Sadly however, as much as he wanted to join them, he couldn't, due to the fact his back was still a little funky. So he resigned himself to the metaphorical bleachers and made do with his meditations.

Though the days were peaceful for the time being, Minato, Mikoto and Kushina knew that it wouldn't be long before they had to get back into the game and go after Kotaro and her gang. So, using the break in their incredibly long and dangerous mission as best as they could, they waited, strengthening themselves wherever and however they could.

On their fifth night out here in the wastes of _Tsuchi no Kuni_ , peace and silence once again fell over their small slice of enemy territory paradise. As crickets chirped in the brush and fireflies danced over the reeds of the nearby stream, if one was to look peer through the canopy of the forest, they would see Kushina was out on duty. Her red hair catching on the light breeze that would occasionally whip through the leaves, the kunoichi kept her eyes on the distant horizon and her senses wide open, while also enjoying the sight of the starry night above.

She even had the pleasure of catching a glimpse of a shooting star, which served to put a serene smile on her face as she laced her fingers and made a wish.

Meanwhile, back down on the forest floor and concealed by dozens of trees surrounding the small clearing, a warm glow of candle light could be seen peeking through the crack of the tent. Inside, the distinct form of Minato was sitting with his back turned to Mikoto, dressed in her spandex ANBU uniform, in the process of changing the bandages from his skin.

When she managed to peel away the material, she found a light scarring underneath from where Shen's large Fuma Shuriken had pierced him. The raven haired woman smiled warmly as she reached up and activated her mystical palm technique over the affected area. "Looking good. The surface area of the wound has healed over nicely. You can barely tell you were even hit."

"That's good." Minato sighed, at the same time rolling his left shoulder when he felt the tingling of the woman's technique course over his upper back. "The area is still a little bit tender though. I can still feel something's not right."

His remark had Mikoto snicker. "That's because you're a big baby." She immediately followed up on this comment by reaching up and grinding her finger into a pressure point between the spaces of his right shoulder blade, causing Minato to laugh and squirm uncomfortably on the spot.

"Gaaah! Okay! Okay! I surrender! Aaaah!" the man yelped, hearing the woman giggle as she pulled her hand away and watched the man roll his arm back to relieve the . "Man. You really like picking on me, don't you?"

"Only because you're an easy target," Mikoto snickered, at the same time continuing her work on the man's back. "Besides, you deserve it."

"Huh? For what?" Minato asked while looking back at the woman in surprise.

The kunoichi smirked. "For being an idiot." Focusing back on the man's shoulder, the raven haired mother and wife continued. "Everyone in the village sees you as one of the greatest and finest shinobi Konoha has ever produced, yet you've been so caught up in your work lately that you've barely spent any time at home with your wife… or taken any days off to go see any of your friends. Your schedule has been so jam-packed this past year that none of us ever get to see you anymore. And on top of that, you take the most dangerous, hardcore and life-threatening missions put forward by the village, without even stopping to consider about how much any of them will affect the people around you. Honestly, Minato, it's annoying and scary how fearless and dense you can be."

Smile disappearing, Minato slowly lowered his head and apologized in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry." He then turned his head away while continuing to process everything Mikoto had just said to him. "I… try my best to be a good husband to Kushina and a good friend to my neighbors. I really do. But…" He then clenched his fists in his lap, while also feeling Mikoto stop her current task to listen to him. "I guess it's because I care about both of them so much and am so afraid of letting either of them down that I can't take any time off to rest. I take so many missions from the Hokage because I want to be able to support my family… and I take the most dangerous jobs because I want to be able to protect my village and make sure that it has a future. It's the same reason why I accepted this assignment so readily." He then looked up to stare at the wall of the tent, at the same time watching his shadow dance across it from the candles positioned nearby. "Kotaro is threatening to tip the balance of our world and destroy everything we care about; our friends, our families, and our village. That's why I took this mission despite knowing how dangerous it was… to make sure that none of this ever happens, and that everyone- including you and Kushina- have a tomorrow to look forward to."

Deactivating her medical ninjutsu, Mikoto's eyes cast downwards momentarily in thought. Feeling the warmth of their only lights flickering against her face, the woman breathed in deeply. "You don't have to carry the burden of protecting the village all by yourself, Minato. Not even someone as invincible as you can take on the entire world. Let someone else carry a bit of it too." She added to this by running her hands tentatively up the man's back to rest on his shoulders, which she gripped reassuringly. "We all help each other. Me and Kushina… we're shinobi of Konoha too. If you ever need any help… just ask. You don't need to kill yourself for our sakes."

Feeling the woman's hands on him and sensing her upset, the blond Jonin smiled and, slowly, raised a hand and placed it on top of hers. Rubbing her fingers soothingly till he felt her nerves subside, Minato whispered. "Thank you, Mikoto." He then smiled when he saw her glance back up at him. "I've been running around so much this last year that I forgot I wasn't the only ninja in the village. Heh. Maybe it's because I'm so damn fast."

It was then Mikoto, shaking off her surprise, then cracked a small smile and spoke with an amused tone of voice. "Well, someone's gotta be around to catch you and give you a firm kick up the ass. And if Kushina can't do it, then I most certainly will." As she stared at the man's back, running her hands up and down his toned muscles, the raven haired woman couldn't help but feel her chest tighten with excitement and a pleasant warmth fill her face.

This caused Minato to laugh and look ahead of him again, unaware of the intense gaze Mikoto was giving him, or the fact that she'd removed her obi and had started to unzip her body suit. "Well… it makes me feel really happy to hear that I have so many people out there who care about me. You and Kushina especially." Taking a deep breath, he allowed his body to relax and his uneasiness to subside. "When this is all over, I'll definitely take more time off work to spend with everyone-huh?" His entire body then jumped when he suddenly felt the woman's arms wrap around him and her body press into his. "M-Mikoto?"

Eyes closing, the woman inhaled the man's scent as she pressed her face into the back of his neck, at the same time feeling his blond locks caressing her cheek tenderly. "Minato-kun… do you remember… back when we were younger? When you would take me, Kushina and Tsune out to your little shack out on the grove at night in secret. Remember… back when we were all just reckless, hot-blooded Chunin and you were an aspiring young Jonin?"

The blonde's gaze widened when he realized what Mikoto was talking about, his face immediately heating up when memories of those days started coming back to him. What's more, when he felt the woman behind him press her large breasts framed in her bandage bra into his back, the Jonin curled forward slightly and shivered nervously. "I… I remember."

Smile widening, Mikoto opened her eyes and, leaning towards his ear as her hands traveled over his chest with want and feeling his muscles jump under her touch, whispered to him. "And do you remember how the four of us would mess around together? When you would take the three of us on that large futon… and make love to us all night?" She finished this question by leaning forward and playfully nibbling on his ear.

Jumping slightly when he felt the woman's teeth teasingly nip his lobe and felt her warm breath on his nape, the man gasped. "I do."

Resting her chin on his shoulder as her hands ventured over his strong chest and rippling abs, the woman breathed out and spoke in a sinful voice, filled with longing. "I really… _really_ miss those days, Minato-kun. Ever since we grew up and moved on to live normal lives… me with Fugaku… and you with Kushina… I just couldn't stop thinking about you, and how much fun we used to have together. You were the first person I ever fell in love with… and I still love you, even today. Not being able to be with you and Kushina… it's been driving me crazy." The woman then leant into him, her heart pounding against her chest as she gradually started to feel the man's body heat up from their proximity.

Swallowing nervously, Minato's shoulders tucked up as he felt the woman lay her lips against his neck and begin leaving tender love bites up and down his skin. "I… miss those days too, Mikoto. More than you can know."

Feeling elated to hear that, the woman then brought her face up alongside his, at the same time resting her hand on his toned stomach, while the other gripped his chest, where she could feel his heart racing as well. "Then… why don't we relive those nights… just this once… for old time's sakes?" Laying a kiss on the man's jaw, the woman grinned. "I know I want to… and I know you want to too."

His resistance and sense starting to crumble under the sound of the woman's sultry voice, Minato did his best to keep his composure, as he slowly turned to face the Uchiha kunoichi. "Mikoto… I-" He was effectively silenced when the female Jonin suddenly captured his lips with hers, crushing herself against him in a searing, passionate kiss. So caught off guard that Minato was unable to stop the woman from snaking her tongue into his mouth to lock with his in a duel for dominance. In that moment, the man became lost in a wave of passion, as his eyes closed and he immersed himself in the sinful sensation of utter bliss.

As they kissed, Minato turned into the woman, running one hand up her body, cupped her cheek with his other. In the midst of their make-out session, the Uchiha female then pushed the man down onto their sleeping bags, where she quickly straddled him, all the while keeping their mouths locked. Moaning when she felt the man cup her breast with his hand through her makeshift bra, the woman then removed her lips from his and straightened up, sitting herself on the man's abdomen.

Their faces flushed and hair all a mess, an anxious yet incredibly fired up Minato looked up into the woman's eyes, where he quickly noticed Mikoto's Sharingan had activated from excitement. "M-Mikoto… your…" He then reached up and traced her cheek with his fingers.

"Oh." Realizing what the man was pointing out, the woman reached up and laid her hand on top of his, as a loving smile crossed her lips. "I guess it's been a while, huh?"

Minato's smile also widened fondly. "Your clan's rarest and most famous gift. The _**Mangekyō Sharingan**_ (Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye)." Recognizing the changed pattern in the woman's red gaze- the three black arrows circling the pupil with red dots positioned where the shafts met the heads- the blond chuckled. "Well… in your case, it's not the conventional one."

Allowing the man to run his hand affectionately over her cheek, Mikoto beamed. " _The Curse of Hatred_ is said to affect our clan the most because we Uchiha are subject to powerful emotions, due to our latent genetics. Whenever any of us shows love for a friend or family member and that person is suddenly lost, our love transforms into overpowering hatred and anger. This then triggers the Sharingan and its other variations lying dormant within our bloodline. Because of this, my people and many others have come to believe that only through emotional trauma can members of our clan gain power." She then shook her head when she gazed down at the blond beneath her, her cheeks red with warmth. "But this is not the case. My people misinterpreted the teachings passed down from our predecessors and have continued to misunderstand them for centuries. You see, when an Uchiha gains emotional fulfilment… in other words spiritual cohesion through true love for another, they activate the advanced Mangekyō… the _**Shin Mangekyō Sharingan**_ (True Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye). In other words, spiritual enlightenment."

Minato chuckled when he looked into the woman's red eyes. "The Mangekyō Sharingan awoken through emotive serenity, in which darkness will never dominate and tears of blood will never be shed. Through this means, full clarity of the infinity and its unpredictable nature can be achieved." The Jonin tilted his head when he felt Mikoto rub her face into his palm. "Only three other Uchiha in history have ever achieved this form of Sharingan."

Mikoto leant down as the man continued to caress her cheek, at the same time laying her hands on his torso and running them up to his chiseled chest. "It's because of my love for you that I was able to get these eyes. I embraced my feelings in their fullest and accepted them entirely… even now. And nothing will ever change that… even if one of us should disappear." After exploring the man's body with need, the woman then straightened up, reached back, and began to undo the bandages around her chest.

Watching the woman unwrap her bra, an anxious Minato inhaled sharply. "What about Fugaku… your family?"

"I love them too. But with Fugaku, marrying him was more an act of duty to my clan rather than an act of love, something that he understands all too well. As clan leader, he has accepted the terms and conditions of our relationship. However, I still care deeply for my family and son… more than you know," Mikoto informed, casting off the bandages and revealing to Minato her bountiful chest, which he couldn't help but gape at. Feeling her face heat up from feeling the man's gaze on her, the Uchiha beamed brightly. "Don't worry. This can be our secret. After this… we can go back to our normal lives like nothing ever happened… if that is what you want."

Swallowing when he saw the topless woman's expression transform into hunger, as she leant forward, the blond Jonin nodded. "Okay." When Mikoto laid down on him, her bosom sinking into his chest and dragging up his body as her face came to hover above his, the man wrapped his hands around her trim waist and ran up her back. "W-What about Kushina?"

It was then the insatiable kunoichi's eyes flashed with mischievous and her smile filled with wicked intent. "Why don't we ask her to join us?"

OOO

(Several minutes later)

Having spent another quarter out there under the stars, after checking her watch Kushina soon felt that it was time for a shift change. So, after having one last scan of the area, the woman stood up and jumped down from the towering cedar tree and back onto solid ground. From there, the woman took a quick swig from her water canister before marching back over to the tent.

"Damn. All this waiting around is starting to stress me out. Minato's got to be fully healed by now," the red haired woman muttered as she crossed the clearing to their sleeping quarters. She then sighed as she scratched the back of her neck. "Maybe I can help speed up the process."

Stopping outside the tent for a moment, she took a few seconds to consider the full weight of their mission, while also thinking about her time back in Konoha spent with her husband. Having missed the days of long, happy hours spent with her husband, both out in public and in the privacy of their home, Kushina felt a depressing sense of emptiness fill her chest, and a deep feeling of longing grip her heart.

At that moment, she wished she could spend just one more day at home with Minato or go back to the days where they were both young and living it up, free of so many responsibilities. Kushina wanted to be embraced by the man that she loved, who would tell her how much she meant to him and how she would respond in kind.

But, with a mission to complete and the fate of the world riding on their shoulders, Kushina knew that it would be a while before she ever caught a glimpse of an opportunity like that again. So choosing to resign herself to Minato duty and get some sleep next to him while she had the chance, the woman pushed through the entrance of the tent and immediately looked for Mikoto, who she expected to be treating her husband's wounds while he was on his stomach.

"Hey. Miko-chan. It's time for your… watch…?" Kushina stopped abruptly inside the entrance when, looking across her tent, she saw Minato sitting at the end of the sleeping bag; his lower body covered in a blanket and an expectant smile on his face. Finding no Mikoto, the redhead stared at her topless husband in confusion for a moment, before then looking around the tent. "Wait. Minato? Where's Mi-EEEK!" The Uzumaki gave a shriek of fright when she suddenly felt a pair of hands place themselves on her shoulders from behind and another body press into her back. In that moment, the redhead's eyes snapped over her shoulder in surprise. "M-Mikoto-chan?"

There, much to her disbelief, she found a completely naked Mikoto kneeling behind her, her raven hair hanging freely over her shoulders and down her back, as she pressed her bare bosom into her friend's vest. "Hello, K-chan."

Alarmed, Kushina's gaze darted between Minato and Mikoto. "H-Hang on? What's going-? GAH! MINATO! DON'T LOOK!" the wife shouted while bringing her arms up to better conceal her friend, whom Minato could see clearly. However, the Jonin didn't budge. "Mikoto! What the hell are you doing! Put some clothes on, dattebane!"

Giggling at how flustered and embarrassed her friend was acting, Mikoto slowly snaked her hands over her friend's shoulders and down her arms and chest. The act of which caused Kushina to stiffen. "What's wrong, Kushina? Are you embarrassed to see me naked in front of your husband?"

"Y-Yes! Of course!" the redhead shouted, at the same time trying to keep her gaze on anything but her friend. "It's… indecent!"

Mikoto grinned when her hands rested over her friend's stomach. "Oh? You never had this kind of problem back when we were teenagers. You remember, right?" She then leaned into her friend's shoulder and grinned across at the red-faced kunoichi. "In the shack? And on those long missions whenever it was just the three of us… and Tsune?" She then breathed on the woman's neck, causing a pleasurable shiver to run up her spine. "We had so much fun… playing together… taking turns pleasuring each other… or all four of us at once?"

Her face becoming even redder when she heard this, Kushina gritted her teeth and shook her head. "Y-Yes! Of course I remember! How can I forget?!" She then yelped when she suddenly felt Mikoto unzip her Jonin vest and slip a hand under her shirt, up her taut stomach and to her chest, which she began to play with. "Gah! Miko-chan!"

Massaging and kneading the woman's large breast in her hand, a hungry-looking Mikoto then whispered. "Let's train again… like we used to."

Feeling her body start to weaken as waves of pleasure started washing through her, a slightly panting Kushina looked over her shoulder and to the woman behind her. "M-Mikoto. Please… we can't do this. I'm… not the girl I used to be anymore. A-And what's more… you and I are married-"

"So?" Mikoto asked, at the same time running her other hand down her friend's stomach and towards her pants, where she slowly slipped her fingers into the waistband. "That never stopped us, did it? Besides… I know you've missed this… our cold nights spent together in fits of passion, our arms wrapped around one another, and our hands and mouths exploring each other's hot bodies as Minato took each of us in turn and brought us to an amazing climax. It's been driving you mad, hasn't it?"

"N-No I…" Kushina was cut off when a low moan of pleasure left her lips as she felt Mikoto's fingers slip into her panties and massage her below, at the same time her other hand worked her breast. Panting as waves of pleasure shot through her, the redhead quickly felt her walls crumbling, as any objections she had were quickly dispelled into clouds of need. "Ah… aah… Miko-chan…" When her head turned, the redhead's lips were suddenly captured by Mikoto's, who proceeded to freely explore her mouth with her tongue, while her own danced with hers in response.

Watching from the sidelines, an equally turned on Minato watched as the hot Uchiha female slowly proceeded to undress her teammate right before his eyes. Upon removing her vest and top- bra and all- the raven haired woman proceeded to work on getting her lover's pants off. Their make-out session soon resulted in Kushina turning into Mikoto's arms, where their hands began vigorously running over each other's bodies with want and excitement.

Getting a good taste of her friend's mouth, the Uchiha pulled away and licked her lips. "Mmm… it's a shame Tsune isn't here with us. But let's see if we can get the old Kushina out."

After feeling Mikoto's fingers slide her panties down her legs and her other hand run up the luscious curve of her back, Kushina, her hand wrapped around her partner's head and hip, then pulled away with a gasp and a red face.

"A-Are you sure?"

Mikoto grinned and nodded, "Yes."

It was then, after shyly looking between her and Minato to see her husband was still watching them with intent, the red haired Jonin then lifted her head and whispered. "Then… please… take me." After seeing the other woman smile victoriously, Kushina then pulled her lover towards her and crushed her lips against hers in a passionate kiss. "Mmmhhh…" Their hands roaming over one another's bodies once more as Mikoto slipped her thigh between Kushina's legs to let her grind against her and vice-versa, Kushina moved her head back and bit on Mikoto's bottom lip when she gasped. "Hah… aaah…"

As their moans filled the tent, when Kushina moved down to chew on her friend's neck, Mikoto peered across at the watching Minato and, with a wicked grin, nodded him over. This being the very consent he needed, the blond then crawled over from his spot and, wrapping his arms around Kushina from behind, joined the pair in their heated make-out session.

Minutes later, their little clearing in the woods was soon filled with the sounds of loud moaning and cries of passion, as the three young Jonin spent the entire night making love to one another.

Hell, the fact that they were in enemy territory and in the middle of a very dangerous mission only served to heighten their passion.

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well, there we go. I've been dying to write this scene for a while now, and I'm really glad that I did. Kind of a little secret Minato, Kushina and Mikoto has been sharing.

More closure on this later.


	7. Crisis Arc - The Ritual

**NARUTO:** **MAOYŪ**

 _ **The Wind Demon**_

 _The Ritual_

(The next day)

Out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by patches of evergreen forests, sweeping empty wastelands of desert, and multiple mountain ranges, three figures could be seen standing on top of one of the many plateaus and looking over the scenery. The eyes of the _Crimson Star_ gang glued to the horizon as a fierce wind blew across their lookout, cooling them off while also giving them some feeling in this empty, tranquil land.

And lying nearby, tied up in ropes and unconscious, was the blonde haired form of Amaya- the daughter of Hanzo Hattori. Still dressed in the same pink kimono she'd been kidnapped in the night before, the girl didn't utter a single sound, other than the quiet, gentle breaths of a peaceful slumber.

Glancing over his shoulder, San Fuma looked down at the sleeping girl and smiled. "She seems to be having a nice nap." This much was evident from how little noise she was making.

"Of course. She's a guest of honor on this little trip of ours," Shen replied, keeping his arms crossed and attention set on the distance. "We wouldn't want her to be uncomfortable."

The man in the top-knot looked back at their team leader in confusion. "Why did sensei want us to bring her along again?"

It was now Mei's turn to speak up, with the tallest member of the group lifting her head high. "Master wishes to have an audience for her ascension ceremony… and what better way to bring an audience than by kidnapping the daughter of the previous generation's most powerful shinobi in the world." A smirk then tugged at the corner of her lips. "This should be more than enough to get the attention of the other hidden villages."

After staring at the child for a couple more minutes, San then looked back around and folded his arms with a grunt. "I sure hope you're right, otherwise we're going to have our work cut out for us."

A few seconds after the man had said this, the trio's eyes then snapped to the side when they sensed another figure arrive on the scene. When they saw the familiar form of their sister Yu rise out of one of the large shadows behind a boulder and step out into the open, they saw the woman dust down her arms while holding her still unfolded _Fuma Shuriken_ in her hand.

Snapping it shut and sheathing it onto her back, the young woman with the ox horn cut turned to her compatriots with a chirpy grin. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"Welcome back, Yu." Observing her slightly grungy state for a moment, the few tears in her black top and the prominent bruise on her cheek, Shen narrowed his eyes attentively. "Did you have fun playing with those Akatsuki brats?"

"Hm?" Blinking in confusion, the orange haired girl then gave a loud chuckle and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Oh. Yeah. Those kids were a lot tougher than they looked. They had me on the ropes a couple of times during that fight… especially the cute one with orange hair."

Mei raised an eyebrow. "And? What are they doing now?"

A dark look then crossed Yu's eyes as she looked back over her shoulder thoughtfully. "Oh, I imagine they're all lying in the forest on the muddy ground, experiencing varying levels of pain and discomfort."

That being all the answer they needed, the three other members of the group looked back over the horizon and continued on waiting. They trusted their teammate to have handled her opponents well-enough, even if it had taken her a few hours. Though it was clear she'd legitimately had a hard time holding off and eventually defeating her enemies, as long as they were no longer right behind them they had nothing to worry about.

Their sense of duty in this area as well as accomplishment came full circle shortly thereafter when, from up high, they spotted a little twinkle in the blue sky thousands of feet above them. When their eyes and senses craned towards the flash of light, they saw it again… and again. Seconds of watching later, the group then saw a tiny ball of light shimmer into view, trailing fire as it streaked towards them from the stratosphere. Breaking through the clouds, the ball of flames roared down through the infinite blue as it punched through the sound barrier, causing loud shockwaves to echo over the landscape.

A minute later, the _Crimson Star_ bandits saw the ball of flames change course and begin rocketing towards them, getting closer and closer by the second. By the time it was only a hundred feet above the ground, the flames dispersed with a blast of wind, ejecting a black figure from the smoke, who performed a fancy aerial summersault, before dropping to the plateau beneath them.

The figure performed a perfect super-hero landing directly behind the group with a loud thump, sending dust into the air as they remained kneeling for several moments. Once the cloud dispersed, the figure stood up to reveal themselves to be none other than Fuma Kotaro, who flicked her length of white hair back and looked behind her at her crew, all of whom were staring at her with intent.

"Master," Shen greeted with a nod.

"Did you get what you wanted from the moon folk?" Mei asked immediately afterwards, completely disregarding the fact that their teacher and leader had just dropped down from planetary orbit to land directly in front of them.

And she didn't even have a single scratch or burn on her.

Cracking a smile, the white haired woman in the revealing purple kimono reached into her obi and, after a quick fumble, pulled out the object she'd sought after on the moon. Opening her palm, she revealed the white lotus cradle and the two Hoju stones in her possession, which caused the members of her gang to stop and stare in awe.

"My journey to the _Otsutsuki Clan's_ hideout has born us some very tasty fruit. Now that we have the cradle in our possession, it puts us one step closer to our ultimate goal," Fuma informed with a cheerful smile, upon which she lowered her hand and gestured to her followers. "And… what about you four?" When she saw the four members of her gang look across the plateau, the woman followed their gazes to see Amaya lying on her side nearby.

"It was an easy enough venture. We bombed Hanzo's home and killed his bodyguards. But we're positive the man is still alive," Shen informed with a serious look on his face.

"Not to mention incredibly pissed," San followed up, turning to look across at his master with a serious glare. "Since we pretty much broke into his home and stole his daughter right out from under him, odds are he's going to be coming after us with the intent of filleting each of us like fish… an encounter I'm sure you're especially looking forward to."

"Oh, absolutely," Fuma replied, glancing back at her crew with what was clearly excitement burning in her eyes. "One does not get the chance to battle the current strongest shinobi in the world next to Hiruzen Sarutobi. With his raw fury and power, I'm sure the legendary shinobi of the rain will make for an interesting opponent." She then saw her second in command Mei step forward- pulling a hand from her pocket and holding it out to her.

"More importantly, we also got _this_ from his daughter," the tall woman stated, flashing the bud-shaped stone attached to the string to her master. "When we noticed it hanging around her neck out in the open, we knew we got the right girl… and not some decoy."

Eyes lighting up with joy, Fuma reached forward and gingerly took the object from her subordinate. As soon as she had it nestled between her thumb and fingers, the white-haired monster of a kunoichi raised it up towards the sky and, drawing a steady breath, spoke in a commanding tone. _**"Jiēshì!"**_ (Reveal)

Almost instantly, not only did the one rock light up, but so did the other sacred treasures in her hand. Her entire crew had to shield their eyes from how brightly the objects shone, with the one Fuma had above her shining a brilliant ocean blue. The luminous gem stones reflected off of the kunoichi's eyes like some epiphany, as if she were staring at the greatest answer to all of life's problems itself.

The truth wasn't that far off as the pale woman grinned and, after seeing the glowing stones fade, ripped the string off of the final one and brought them all together between both her hands.

"It's time."

Turning around, the woman moved over to the direct center of the plateau that they were all standing on. With her four subordinates flanking directly behind her and Hanzo's daughter still lying asleep nearby, Fuma dropped down to both her knees, placed the lotus cradle atop a large boulder, and arranged the three Hoju stones on top of it. From there she then pulled out a couple of incense stick, lit them, and slipped them into a long wooden holder and placed them on the rock in front of the stones.

Once she'd finished putting the artefacts together, she paused for a moment, before glancing behind her at her cronies. Upon seeing her look at them, the entire gang dropped down to one knee and bowed, awaiting her next instructions.

"This ritual will take a couple of days to complete. I will remain here and guard the _Cintamani_ until the bonding process has finished. In the meantime I want all of you to go out there and find those four _Konoha_ shinobi that were sent after me earlier," Fuma informed, causing her team to look up at her in surprise. "You will fight them with all the strength and skills in your arsenal. Give them everything you have and more, and once you have finally deemed them to be worthy, you will let them come to me."

Thinking on it for a moment, Yu then looked across at the little girl lying nearby. "What about her?"

"The heiress will stay with me," Fuma replied, also looking over at the child with a considerate look on her face, "As both witness and insurance." Once she was certain her subordinates understood her motivations, the woman looked back towards the altar she'd erected and placed her hands together in Anjali Mudra prayer position. "The light generated by these stones will draw all the nations of the world to this very spot- _Iwagakure_ , _Sunagakure_ , _Kirigakure_ and _Kumogakure_. By now they would've likely sent a couple of armies to stop me…" Her smile then widened with excitement. "And I will be here to greet them when they arrive."

After glancing at one another silently, the four brothers and sisters then looked back at their teacher and lowered their heads once again in understanding.

Without further ado, Fuma proceeded with the ritual. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and began to chant in Sanskrit.

" _ **Namo ratna-trayāya"**_

 _ **"Nama āryā-valokite-śvarāya bodhi-sattvāya mahā-sattvāya mahā-karu**_ _ **ṇ**_ _ **ik**_ _ **ā**_ _ **ya"**_ _ **  
**_ _ **"Tadyathā:"**_

" _ **O**_ _ **ṃ**_ _ **cakra-varti cint**_ _ **ā**_ _ **ma**_ _ **ṇ**_ _ **i mah**_ _ **ā**_ _ **-padme,"**_

" _ **Ru ru ti**_ _ **ṣṭ**_ _ **ha jvala,**_ _ **ā**_ _ **kar**_ _ **ṣ**_ _ **ā**_ _ **ya"**_

 _ **"hū**_ _ **ṃ**_ _ **phat ̣sv**_ _ **ā**_ _ **h**_ _ **ā**_ _ **"**_

" _ **O**_ _ **ṃ**_ _ **padma cint**_ _ **ā**_ _ **-ma**_ _ **ṇ**_ _ **i jvala h**_ _ **ū**_ _ **ṃ**_ _ **"**_

" _ **O**_ _ **ṃ**_ _ **varada padme h**_ _ **ū**_ _ **ṃ**_ _ **"**_

While the words of her incantation were completely incomprehensible to her followers, to the leader herself they were spelled out clear as day.

"Adoration to the Three Gems"

"Adoration to the Noble Lord who gazes down upon the world"

"The enlightened sentient being, the great sentient being, the great compassionate one!"

"Through this, please turn the wheel of the wish-fulfilling jewel and the great lotus"

"Through your unending flame, I call upon the holy mind to destroy all obstacles"

"Om! Lotus and wish-fulfilling jewel, burn, hum!"

"Om! Boon bestowing great lotus, hum!"

The moment she started repeating these lines of mantra over and over again, the sacred treasures in front of her started to glow and pulse. Seconds later, as the words of her spell continued to flow freely from her lips, the embers at the ends of the incense sticks suddenly exploded into two enormous balls of fire, which caused the four members of the _Crimson Star_ gang kneeling behind their master to stand and back away in shock. Moments later, a blinding white light shot straight up into the sky from the lotus cradle, swallowing up the boulder altar while punching a hole through the clouds.

Like a beacon, this pillar of ethereal energy lit up the entire region, startling the nearby animals and prompting them to look upon the glowing tower with interest and intent. The land swayed and the winds blew under the sheer majesty of the spectacle. But even with the terrifying magnitude and breadth of the pulsing spear of heavenly chi, no damage or destruction was done to the surrounding environment. Everything remained still and at peace, as if nothing was even happening.

However, in the heart of the beam of light originating from the plateau, under the chanting of Fuma Kotaro, the lotus cradle and the three Hoju stones levitated upwards and, through an unknown mystical force, the trio of rocks began to orbit one another.

And so the spell continued, with Fuma Kotaro continuing to mumble under her breath the same mantra over and over again, compelling the sacred artefact to react to her calling.

The _Crimson Stars_ meanwhile, after watching their master proceed with the ritual, then stepped back and looked at one another. Seeing as how none of them had anything else to say, nor could they say anything else lest they interrupt their leader's incantation, there was only one course of action they could take.

"Let's go," Shen instructed, earning nod from the other three before they all vanished in four respective shunshins.

In their wake, the four warriors left their master kneeling atop a mountain, with an enormous pillar of light reaching into the heavens, which could be seen for miles around.

Odds are, it wouldn't be long until somebody else took notice of it…

OOO

(Sometime later)

(Back in Amegakure)

As it has been since its inception as a nation, the rain continued to pour down upon the small but powerful country of _Amegakure_ , beating down on the towering metropolis that was its capital, as well as the rocky, forested terrain that was its surrounding landscape. Though everything seemed peaceful and serene against the waterlogged backdrop, through the mist and the mud, a rather unfortunate turn of events had befallen the young peacekeeping group known as Akatsuki.

Inside one of the land's many large forests, an entire area of wood and rock could be seen reflecting the fresh scars of an awesome battle. Oaks had been fallen, boulders had been split in half, and large craters had been punched into the earth at random points all across the once lush and untouched wilderness. Even with the weather beating heavily upon the earth in this very spot, the telltale signs of smoke could still be seen belching out of the charred fissures.

Furthermore, scattered across this battle torn area, the bodies of multiple fallen men and women could be seen.

While some of them appeared to be doing alright, only bearing a handful of bruises and possibly several cracked bones, the majority of them weren't doing so well. The bulk of the Akatsuki force looked as though they'd been cut down by some sort of monstrous beast with an enormous, bladed weapon, with a couple of the stronger members also carrying several shuriken and kunai lodged into random parts of their bodies. Those who'd been able to remain conscious after receiving their injuries were all groaning and groveling in the dirt, trying their best to ignore the fact that they were bleeding out _and_ getting soaked by the rain.

As for their leaders, well, their conditions seemed to reflect a direct correlation to their importance in their group.

Yahiko, having lead the charge in the battle and lasted the longest, was lying against a boulder with a broken arm, his broad sword lying uselessly at his side, and a large Fuma Shuriken impaled in his gut. With blood also trickling down from his hairline, the boy was trying his best to maintain consciousness, as well as nurse the various other cuts and bruises he'd taken.

Nagato was lying on the other side of the field in a broken mess, with multiple kunai lodged in his back and various slash marks drawn across his person. He was unconscious just like the rest of his friends and wasn't in a state for any kind of communication.

And last but not least was Konan, who was lying near Yahiko's position in a crater, surrounded by over a dozen sheets of paper that were slowly breaking apart under the constant downpour. She got off easy with a couple of shuriken in her shoulder and stomach, as well as a cut over her right eye, which was shut from all the blood trickling down her face.

Removing the weapons from her gut, the young woman hissed as she tossed them away, before then resting her hand over her wounds and giving a well-deserved groan of pain. When she looked across the field to where she could see Yahiko lying, the blue-haired beauty then called out to him.

"Yahiko-kun… h-how are you doing?" the origami kunoichi asked in a slightly shaky voice.

Hissing as he slowly attempted to pull the giant Fuma Shuriken from his stomach, a miraculously still alive leader cracked a smile and peered across the field at his teammate and girlfriend. "So far, so good!" His remark earned a light giggle from Konan, who immediately went back to groaning along with her boyfriend. Taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, Yahiko then turned his attention to the rest of the field. "Alright… who's not dead? Sound off!"

Almost immediately the area was filled with a series of loud moans and mumbles, as several of the still conscious members of the team painfully raised their hands to let their boss know that they were fine… in a manner of speaking.

"Okay. Good," Yahiko replied, resting his head back against the rock as he then went back to slowly drawing the blade from his stomach. "Damn. This is going to ruin my whole day."

"Remember… if it's deep, leave it in. If it's bleeding, keep pressure on it," Konan called across from her crater, attempting to sit up but then giving a quiet yelp and dropping back to the floor. Yep. She was pretty sure she had a couple of broken ribs. Deciding that moving was a no-go, the bluenette then moved on to another topic. "That woman… she was _so_ strong… and fast. I couldn't keep up with her."

"Yeah. Even Nagato was having trouble… and he's got the eyes of a freakin' demi-God," Yahiko breathed back, his head still reeling from how chaotic that fight had been. As soon as they charged that Yu woman, she came at them like a veritable whirlwind of death. Her giant Fuma Shuriken spun like a top as she danced between them gracefully, cutting down and smashing away every single person that came at her. When she found herself cornered, she either took flight into the air or disappeared into the shadows… _literally_ , before then springing back out of another shadow and taking her opponent completely by surprise.

Never in his life had the Akatsuki leader seen a shinobi with abilities like that. It was almost unnatural. But considering who her boss was, Yahiko could assume that all four members of the _Crimson Star_ gang had some outrageous abilities.

Since this was their first real defeat since they started out as a unit, it was clear to see that they were still feeling a tad bit overwhelmed and shocked.

" _We're definitely not going to be able to forget this any time soon,"_ Yahiko thought, gritting his teeth before finally, with a grunt and a shout, he removed the giant Fuma Blade from his stomach. Throwing the weapon away, he immediately ripped off the sleeve around his arm and tied it around his waist, doing a quick patch job on the flesh wound before going back to lying where he was. "Fuck. It's a good thing I've got such magnificent abs." A cheeky smile crossing his lips, he then looked across at his teammate. "Don't you agree, Konan?"

Blushing brightly as she kept her hand pressed over her injuries, the kunoichi looked away. "Not a good time, Yahiko."

"Aw, come on. We're obviously going to be here a while… so why don't we try passing the time over talking about how cool I am…"

Shaking her head at her boyfriend's ego and show of humor, the blue haired beauty then glared back at him with a grin. "You're an idiot." When she heard him chuckle over the rain, Konan then went back to lying where she was, hoping against all hope that some farmer might pass through the area and help them out.

However, just as she was starting to think about the possibilities of a rescue and who might turn out to aid them, the last person in the world she expected to run into suddenly made an appearance on the scene. Noticing a shadow fall over her, the wounded Konan glanced up to see who it was, only for her eyes to widen when she saw the familiar, white haired form of her former teacher, Jiraiya, standing over her.

The sight of the older-looking shinobi caused her jaw to drop, before she slowly sat up with a renewed sense of energy. "S-Sensei?" Her exclamation had Yahiko look across at her with a start, as he too quickly spotted the Toad Hermit standing beside his fallen friend.

Kneeling down beside the wounded kunoichi, Jiraiya immediately checked the wounds to her upper body. At the same time he gave his former student a smile. "Long time, no see, Konan. How have you been?"

Staring at the man in silence for several seconds, the kunoichi quickly shook herself out of her daze and cracked a wry smile. "Well… I've had better days-AH!" She yelped when she felt her sensei graze over one of her broken ribs, which immediately led to the man pulling back and whipping out some bandages.

"Clearly," the Sage replied before frowning deeply as he felt the rain immediately soak his supplies. "Damn it. Sometimes I really wish I could brand Tsunade with a summoning seal for emergencies… but she punches me every time I make that suggestion. What's so bad about having the best medic ninja in the world on speed-dial?" The man then looked across at where Yahiko was lying and called out to him. "Are you doing okay over there, little croaker?"

Giving a laugh at hearing his teacher's old nickname for him, the orange haired leader shot back. "You ever wonder what it's like to live life as a jam-filled bun, sensei?"

Jiraiya smirked at his student's sense of humor. "Got it. Don't worry. I'll get to you next." He then glanced back down at Konan, whom he immediately started to bandage up around the shoulder and chest. Making sure he was careful not to agitate her injuries, the white-haired Sage then spoke. "Where's little Nagato? Is he with you?"

"Yeah. H-He's over there," Konan replied while nodding across the field towards the far end, where she could barely spot the top of red hair that was her third teammate. "Since he was fighting from the back at long-range to support the team, the woman went after him first. He got taken out early on with the first group. I was the second to go."

"I see," Jiraiya grunted while resuming his amateur first-aid procedure. "You guys went head-to-head with a dangerous S-Class group and came out alive. That enough is worthy of praise."

Wincing when she felt Jiraiya begin to tie her off, the blue-haired kunoichi looked up at him. "They got Hanzo's daughter." Seeing the Toad Hermit stop and look up at her with a start, Konan continued to relay him the information. "The team snatched her from his home and ran into us out here. They then took off to the East while only one of them stayed behind to take us on." She then grunted when she felt another sting in her side from the injuries she'd sustained. "Even with over a dozen on our side, we didn't stand a chance."

Frowning deeply at this news, Jiraiya quickly finished up his work and looked up. "This is bad…"

If the gang got to Hanzo, then that meant the current most powerful ninja in the world was going to go after Kotaro's gang with the forces of hell at his back. That was bad news for everyone.

What's more, if news got out that his daughter had been taken, then every other village in the area would be scrambling to go after the _Crimson Stars_ ; both to stop them and for the opportunity to take Hanzo's little girl hostage for themselves, as leverage over _Amegakure_.

From this information, Jiraiya knew that he had to work fast. So, after making sure Konan was going to be alright, he quickly went over to Yahiko to give him first aid as well.

He had a lot of catching up to do…

OOO

(Evening)

Miles away from the chaos that was unfolding across the world, in their own little slice of paradise in the very heart of enemy territory, Minato, Mikoto and Kushina were still resting in the tent set up in the small patch of forest by the river.

Well… resting was one part of their itinerary. Over the last several hours they'd spent out in the wilderness, there had been a lot more than recuperating going on in their off-hours. Any animals that happened to be close by or in the vicinity during their nightly sessions could certainly attest to this.

As it just so happens, the situation had not changed at all from last night. Under the lowering curtain of nightfall and the protecting of their canvas ceiling, the three Jonin could be seen lying in the tent- unrobed, unguarded, and unaware of the events transpiring hundreds of miles away. With Minato lying on his back in the buff, Kushina lying on his right and Mikoto lying across him on his left, the young adult male was staring up at the ceiling with a serene smile on his face, while the two main ladies in his lie were currently ogling him and each other.

With Kushina napping against her husband's chest and Mikoto running her fingers tenderly up and down the blonde man's abs, the scene was a reflection of post-coital bliss and emotional fulfillment. This was evident in the afterglow the trio was currently basking in, a gentle sigh leaving the redhead's lips while her raven haired lover teasingly tiptoed her fingers across Minato's stomach to walk over the jinchuriki's waist.

"And just where do you think you're going with those fingers?" Kushina asked without opening her eyes.

Stopping at the woman's question, a mischievous looking Mikoto couldn't help but giggle. "Well, I was hoping to that fine ass of yours, babe."

"Oh no you don't. You and I both know where that leads… and I'm too damn tired to go for another five rounds with you," the woman replied, which drew a light-hearted chuckle from Minato beneath her.

Kushina's response only had Mikoto's grin widen. "Liar." After seeing Kushina stick her tongue out, the Uchiha eventually turned her gaze up to the blonde Jonin she was lying on and, after gazing up at his handsome face, edged up a little more. "Did you have fun?"

A satisfied murmur left the ninja's lips. "Oh yeah. Definitely." Glancing down at the raven haired woman, Minato wrapped his right arm around the woman's voluptuous body and across the smooth of her back. "It's been a long time since we had a bout like this."

"You can say that again. Eighteen hours flat… that must be a new record," Mikoto breathed, enjoying the feel of the man's touch against her flesh as she continued to beam up at him. After swinging a leg back and forth in the air a couple of times, the Uchiha then propped her chin on the man's pectoral and smiled. "It's a shame we won't be able to do this when we get back to Konoha…"

"Hm? Who says we can't?" Minato asked, seeing the woman's expression change as an honest smile replaced his previous one. "I mean… even though we're eventually going to have to go back to our current lives… that doesn't mean we can't see each other anymore, right?"

Mikoto blinked as she stared at her lover. "But… aren't you worried that… we might get found out?"

Vigilant as ever, the blonde shinobi pressed on with a determined look. "Hey. If being with one another makes you happy, then I'm more than willing to work something out that can benefit the three of us." The man then gave a shrug, at the same time Kushina cracked open her eyes and glanced up at her husband. "Granted it will be difficult… and we'll have a lot of people to duck around and avoid, we can still make a situation like this work if we're subtle about it."

Feeling the disappointment of her previous thought vanish as she gazed into the confident, kind eyes of the man that she loved, Mikoto took a deep breath before allowing a warm look to fall over her gentle visage. "As much as I try to stop letting my heart get in the way of my duty… I just can't say no to you. I love you and Kushina too much to just let something like this go." She then leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Minato's lips, which the man happily reciprocated.

Before anything else could be said, an intently listening Kushina then reached up and slapped her man on the chest. "Hey. Don't I get a say in any of this?"

Minato quickly looked back at the redhead, whom he could see was scowling at him. "Of course you do, honey. There's no way we could ever leave you out."

"Knowing how pushy you can be when it comes to being part of the fun, I doubt we could stop you even if we tried," Mikoto replied humorously from the other side of their mutual lover. "I mean… considering how frisky you were getting while you were grinding against me last night-" She then giggled when she saw the flush of embarrassment spread across the redhead's face, which was immediately followed by the jinchuriki reaching up to playfully slap at the Uchiha, who ducked down at the last second to avoid it.

"This is serious, Miko. Geez. Don't be dirty." Ignoring the lecherous glint in her friend's eyes, Kushina then looked back up at her husband seriously. "Remember… the three of us are married, and one of us has a family and clan waiting for her back home. If we really want to start doing something like this again, we have to remember to keep things hush. Because if anyone in the hidden leaf catches wind of this-"

Smiling, Minato gently pulled his wife up to him and, leaning down, gave her a deep, reassuring kiss on the lips. Feeling her gasp of surprise transform into a light moan when she reciprocated his action, the blonde then pulled away with a grin. "Hey. We're super elite ninja of Konoha. I'm sure the three of us can keep a secret."

A couple of blinks from Kushina was then followed by a sigh. Upon which the woman then frowned at him. "Okay… fine. We'll do it. But since I'm going along with the two of you on this crazy scheme, I only have one condition to add." Her expression then turned super serious. "I want to have a baby... and start a family." This statement had Minato and Mikoto stare across at the woman in surprise, where they observed the jinchuriki take on a stubborn set to her jaw. "It doesn't have to be right now or tomorrow. We can start trying after this job is done and dusted, and the three of us are safely back in the village. Deal?"

Glancing at Mikoto momentarily, the Yellow Flash of Konoha then looked back at his wife and smiled. "Yeah. Sure. Definitely."

Satisfied at her man's answer, Kushina rested her head back on her husband's chest and, after taking a deep breath, smiled tenderly across at Mikoto. "It's really hard to stay mad at this guy… especially after an evening like the one we just had."

"No arguments here," Mikoto giggled, while simultaneously snuggling up closer to her lover and pressing her ample chest into his abs. "With the way he operates, I bet I might just end up getting pregnant by accident."

"Heh. Yeah. And if that happens, then the three of us will _really_ be in trouble," Kushina laughed, as the thought of Mikoto having a blond haired Uchiha child with blue eyes would be really hard to explain to their friends. It was a realization that stuck out for the other two members of their party as well, with the pair of Jonin also expressing their amusement with a series of chortles.

After their laughter settled down moments later, with Mikoto teasingly running her hand up and down the beautiful jinchuriki's back, the three continued on lying in each other's arms for the next several minutes. When night eventually fell outside their tent and the sound of crickets slowly flooded into their temporary room, a previously serene Mikoto then took on a concerned mood, and the raven haired mother glanced across their sleeping space contemplatively.

"Hey… Minato…"

"Yeah?"

"Your wound has fully healed now, right?"

"Uh-huh," the man replied quietly, at the same time his mind slowly caught on to where Mikoto was going with this. "I can't feel any more pain or numbness in that area… and my chakra levels are all back to normal."

Taking a deep breath, the woman then frowned sadly. "That means… we're going to have to start moving… right away." Her words caused the other two people in the tent to tense up, as they knew exactly where the woman was going with this next. "We still have a mission to complete. If Fuma Kotaro is allowed to bring the pieces of the wishing jewel together and succeeds in restoring it, there won't be a shinobi alive that will be able to stop her. The entire world will be under her complete control..."

Silence fell over the three for a moment. During which time, Kushina's fingers curled against her husband's stomach and an anxious look appeared on her face. "Before we can even think about fighting her, we have to take out her cronies first… and they're going to be a problem."

"On their own they're difficult to deal with... but _not_ unbeatable," Minato stated, his brow creasing as he thought about how the members of the _Crimson Star_ gang operated. Taking into account all of their abilities they'd witnessed in their brief tussle with them several days ago, the man steeled himself and concluded with a firm voice, "We'll need to separate them and take them on individually. No holding back. No restraints. If we're going to beat them, we're going to have to go at them with all our strength and skill."

"And with brute force, if necessary," Kushina added at the end.

Mikoto nodded and braced herself against the blonde, looking down seriously. "I won't let myself get caught off guard again. This time… I'll control the pace of the fight."

"Agreed," the redhead spoke.

"Then it's settled," Minato continued, looking down at the two women of his life to see them staring up at him. "I'll finish my fight with Shen… and you two girls take on Mei and Yu. As soon as we've removed them from the equation, we'll meet up and head straight for Kotaro. No doubt she will be waiting for us."

With that understanding made and with a great amount of reluctance, the three then got up and started getting dressed.

The next forty-eight hours were going to be long and tough, but they had to gut it out as best as they could. Because if they didn't, then the world as they know it would come to an end by week's close…

XXX

(The following morning)

Just a couple leagues out from the Northern border of the _Land of Fire_ and just south of the northern mountains and the great peninsula adjacent to the _Land of Earth_ , there lay a vast countryside of grass and scattered trees. Between the few plateaus and cliffs dotting the lush, green fields of safari, an enormous gathering of shinobi could be seen marching in military formation across the endless stretch of terrain.

Their footsteps resounding throughout the sky like a methodical drumbeat, the plus three-thousand shinobi and kunoichi, all wearing the long, grey uniforms, white, single-strap flak jackets, arm and shoulder guards, and the headbands aligning them to _Kumogakure_ , could be seen proceeding with all haste towards the West. It was there, gleaming on the horizon like an enormous beacon from the heavens themselves, a pillar of white light jutting up into the sky and filling the atmosphere with a brilliant ethereal glow.

It was this very aberration that guided the troops across the continent like moths drawn to a flame from the Gods themselves. Being a sight that very few would've witnessed in the past, it was clear that the presence of this celestial tower brought a sense of fear and awe to all those who were approaching its base. This much was evident on the faces of all the soldiers now making their way at marching speed towards the horizon; sweat and uncertainty breaking out across their ranks.

And, leading the troops on this bold and treacherous path through enemy territory, was the immense, hulking form of A, the Third Raikage, who'd taken it upon himself to lead this contingent of soldiers into the thick.

With a main of long, white hair flowing down the broad, defined region of his back, and his dark-skinned, muscular body covered by a white flak, grey pants and a red rope obi, the leader of _Kumogakure_ and its forces trekked across the field with a serious and determined look on his face. With a huge chunk of his forces following in his shadow and his unblemished, well-trained body in top form, the man was as ready as he could be to face whatever awaited them at the marker that lay ahead.

Three full regiments of shinobi headed by Kumo's most powerful Raikage up against one woman and four mercenaries. Clearly the odds were looking up for them.

However, just as his troops were about to reach the final stretch of hills lying between them and the light shining from the valley beyond, A suddenly spotted something approaching from the south and raised his hand. His stoppage then prompted the rest of his troops to roll to a halt, with the captains of each platoon following their leader's command.

The moment they stopped and the dust settled, the entire army then saw what it was that had caused the Third Raikage to halt force.

Coming up from the south from beneath a winding ravine, a second military force came charging into view. When the thundering herd of unknown men and women then came to a screeching stop just a hundred yards from the army of _Kumogakure_ , A and his men saw that they had just been joined by a force of shinobi from _Kirigakure_.

The sea of black uniforms with grey flak jackets and headbands immediately turned in the direction of the opposing force from the northern country. When the two armies confronted one another, an intense silence immediately fell over both contingents.

After waiting for several moments, the Raikage and his men then saw a lone figure break off from the force of what they estimated to be a force of two thousand shinobi. When all attention was drawn to this individual leaving the safety of his ranks, the men and women from the Hidden Cloud quickly recognized the raven haired figure wearing the silver battle kimono and pinstriped arm and leg warmers as the Third Mizukage of _Kirigakure_.

Eyes perpetually closed in their signature manner, the leader of the Hidden Mist forces, Arato, faced down the army of enemy shinobi, particularly their commander.

The two Kage and company glared one another down, their expressions steeled seriously and promising trouble. But then, just as the anxiety and pressure began ramping up to a boiling point, the pair of leaders then turned their attention towards the horizon.

The sight of the throbbing white light reaching up into the sky quickly put an end to whatever aggression or tension had been building between the commanders. After weighing up the stakes as well as their purposes here in foreign land, both Mizukage and Raikage looked back at one another, with A breaking the ice with a courteous nod to his fellow leader.

"Arato-san," the man spoke up, his gruff voice easily reaching the enemy force on the other side of the valley.

"A-san," the raven haired man replied firmly yet calmly. The silence of the region made it more than easy enough for both parties to hear the other. "Out for a stroll with your army?"

"You could say that." Taking a deep breath, the imposing leader of Kumo's force grunted in a dignified manner. "We'll settle last year's business on a later date. But right now, we have bigger fish to fry than you and your ilk."

"Same here," the Mizukage responded with poise. "We'll try not to get in your way... and in turn we expect you to do the same."

Truce established, A glanced to his men behind him and, with a firm wave, beckoned his soldiers to follow. He then sprinted ahead and was promptly followed by the rest of his forces. Upon seeing the Hidden Cloud forces take flight, Arato also gestured to his legion and, with his squads of the Hidden Mist's forces at his back, charged up the mountain as well.

The sound of over five thousand shinobi and kunoichi charging up the mountain caused the ground to tremble all around.

An incredible storm was about to hit the mainland of the Elemental Nations.

The question was though… for who?

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Sailing through the trees at an incredible speed East, keeping a tight formation and their companions in view of one another, Minato, Mikoto and Kushina, all back in fighting gear and fighting fitness, were on the trail of Fuma Kotaro and her cronies.

Despite having been out of the loop for the last few days, thanks to some very helpful correspondence courtesy of the Sannin Jiraiya, who had dispatched one of his toads from Amegakure to their campsite, the trio were able to get some fresh data as to the possible whereabouts of their quarry. But that wasn't the Sage's latest messages weren't the only clue they were given.

For one, there was a bright-ass pillar of light shining in the sky about a hundred or so kilometers away and over the mountains on the country's eastern border. If that wasn't a big enough clue as to where Fuma Kotaro was currently holed up, then they didn't know what was.

"Hey. That light... do you guys think that-?" Kushina began to ask as she caught another glimpse of the towering beam of mystical energy through the gaps of the canopy they were leaping through.

"Yes," Mikoto answered, her Sharingan narrowing intently as she did her best to keep a sharp eye on the forest around them. "Kotaro."

"She's found all the pieces of the Wishing Jewel," Minato concluded, his own expression serious as he continued leading the dash through the woods as fast as they could go. "We have to get to her… before she finishes whatever ritual she's started."

"Do you have any markers in that area to jump to, hon?" Kushina asked while hopping forward onto another branch.

"No," Minato replied, before quickly reaching behind him to his pouch and going for a kunai. "But… I can get us there faster…" His fingers wrapped around the handle of one of his unique kunai and began to draw it. But then, just as he was planning on chucking it and performing a group teleport, the blonde's eyes then widened when he sensed something up ahead and quickly put his game face on. "We've got incoming."

"Yeah. I see them," Mikoto spoke up, also spotting the problem for herself through her enhanced gaze. She also noticed something else coming their way in the form of a wall of chakra and, reacting as a kunoichi should, quickly reached for the tantō on her belt. "SCATTER! NOW!" She then broke left, at the same time Minato and Kushina sprang away, taking to the trees in opposite directions.

What followed just a split second after the group of Jonin took off was a powerful blast of wind, which ripped through the forest like a hurricane and sliced, ripped, and smashed to pieces every single tree standing in its way. A good twelve acres of land was utterly annihilated by the attack, which sent trunks, logs, branches and leaves tumbling across the countryside in a cloud of splinters. Soon all that was standing in place of that line of trees was a massive trench about three miles long, which widened the further it travelled from its point of origin.

Luckily the Konoha contingent had managed to get the hell out of the way before the blast of wind came clearcutting through the area. Once it was all over and all that was left was a wall of dust reaching up into the clouds, Minato, Mikoto and Kushina had separated.

Hiking up a nearby plateau resting in the middle of the woods, the blonde Jonin quickly made it to the top and took position on the edge. After a quick survey of the area and the destroyed area of forest lying just a few yards away, the man's head then snapped around when he sensed someone approaching. Looking across the gap towards a tor, he then saw the turban-wearing form of Shen leap out of the trees to land on its peak.

Large Fuma Blade drawn but unfolded, the leader of the _Crimson Star_ gang chuckled as he looked across at Minato, who had all his attention fixed on him. "We were wondering where you three had been hiding. Got a little lost trying to track us down, huh? Yellow Flash?"

"You could say that," Minato replied smartly, at the same time standing up as he fully drew his three-pronged Hiraishin kunai from his pouch. "We had a couple of problems… mainly two of us coming down with a nasty case of stabbed-in-the-back syndrome and almost drowning after falling into a river… but we managed to recover." Spinning it on his palm a couple of times as he took a couple of breaths to compose himself, the Yellow Flash then smirked. "And now here we are."

"Yes. Here we are indeed," Shen chuckled, bringing his enormous shuriken up to tap against his shoulder. "As it so happens, our master wanted us to find you guys and put you through your paces… to see if the four of you are worthy enough to face her. She's itching for a challenge, after all." The man then nodded over his shoulder. "The ladies are having their reunion nearby and San is off hunting down Jiraiya of the Sannin as we speak, so you don't need to worry about any of your friends being left out." As cryptic as the man's words had been, Minato didn't even flinch. "Personally… after looking at your mid-term scores, I wasn't too impressed by your first performance. But, I'm more than willing to have you sit through a retest." A murderous glint then appeared in the green-haired man's eye. "Why don't we go straight to the end of year finals… just to be safe?"

Minato smirked. "Of course." Tossing his knife up and down, the blonde cocked his head to the side. "Is this going to be written answer or multiple choice?"

"Both," Shen replied with a shout, his massive blade snapping open at the same time Minato took a stance. "You may commence writing… now!" He then cocked back his massive blade and leapt across the ravine towards the Jonin, who in turn lunged right at him.

And so, Minato and his friend's rematches began…

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** This is the next chapter of _The Wind Demon_ prequel to Ronin, which reveals a little more about the changes that have taken place in the Naruto world and how the events of the past tie in with the future. For all those who are keeping up to date with Ronin and reading this story, I hope you're all following everything so far. I did a lot of planning for this.

Plus the Minato, Mikoto and Kushina thing... awesome.

Let me know what you guys think.

* * *

 _ **Cintamani**_ – aka the _**Wish-Fulfilling Jewel**_ and _**Wish Granting Jewel**_ \- and also spelled as _Chintamani_ \- is a sacred artefact in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, said by some to be the equivalent of a Philosopher's Stone in western alchemy. It is one of several Mani Jewel images found in Buddhist scripture, and is an object often seen wielded by multiple Buddhist deities.

The stone is often depicted as a single orb with a pointed tip, or as a set of three jewels, sometimes with a flame nimbus. This grouping of three probably represents the Three Jewels (Sanbo) of Buddhism: which are Buddha, Dharma (Buddhist Law), and the Sangha (community of Buddhist believers).

Known as the _**Hoju**_ or _**Hoju no Tama**_ in Japan, this jewels signifies the bestowal of blessings on all who suffer, for it grants wishes, pacifies desires, and brings clear understanding of the Dharma. This "equates" to wealth in Buddhist philosophy.

In the _Naruto: Ronin_ storyline, the _Cintamani_ shares a similar history to its real-life counterpart as being a sacred object that was once wielded by the deities of the primordial world to shape the laws of good fortune and prosperity, and laid the building blocks for farming and agriculture, which in turn would shape modern day civilization. The object ended up being stolen by an unknown force, eventually finding its way to a fox spirit who then gave the stone to the monks of an old temple. Realizing its terrifying power, the monks used an ancient Buddhist ritual to separate the jewel into four pieces and sent them to the far corners of the globe, never to be used by man.

The four pieces of the Cintamani include the three Hoju Stones and the Lotus Cradle:

 _The Buddha Stone:_ The golden stone that was given to the daimyo of the _Land of Fire_ , and was used as part of the family's coronation ritual for centuries

 _The Dharma Stone_ : The red stone that eventually found its way to _Iwagakure's Stone Monument_ , where the First Tsuchikage cast the rock into the pond in a hopes of concealing it

 _The Sangha Stone_ : The blue stone that, after being lost for some time, fell into the possession of Hanzo Hattori and his family. The shinobi gave the stone as a pendant for his daughter's birthday, hoping it would grant her protection and a long life.

 _The Lotus Cradle:_ A white dish that holds the three stones together atop its center.

When the ritual to bring all the pieces together is complete, the petals of the cradle close together and seal the stones inside, forming into a single artefact that glows with a fire of multiple colors that does not burn. From this object, wishes and true enlightenment of the universe can be attained.

Fuma Kotaro desires to possess this ultimate object for a reason that is yet to be explained.


	8. Crisis Arc - Goddess of Wind

**NARUTO:** **MAOYŪ**

 _ **The Wind Demon**_

 _Goddess of Wind_

(Elsewhere)

Dashing across a rocky, mountainous area along the westerly border of the peninsula valley, just east of the _Land of Earth_ , the familiar, white-haired form of Jiraiya of the Sannin was leaping from tor to tor on his way towards the Kotaro's current location. Able to spot the towering beam of light glowing in the distance just like every other nation sharing the stretch of land along this part of the earth's curvature, the Sage was using all the energy he could muster to reach that marker as fast as his legs could carry him.

Even with his build and age, the man was still incredibly swift. Such was the strength and speed of one of the three greatest shinobi of the previous generation.

Of course, even though the great Toad Hermit was bounding over the mountainous valley with the dexterity of a super-powered, super-charged rabbit, the man still couldn't help but complain to himself about his current situation.

"At times like this I really wish I had Minato's _Hiraishin_ kunai to get me across the countryside faster. That kid has it so bloody easy sometimes," Jiraiya muttered, landing against a particularly low tor before springing up onto the next one. Hiking up its towering structure, he then spring boarded off of the top towards another, the wind whipping at his face as he made sure to telegraph each of his landings correctly. "Damn it. When this is all over, I'm going to ask him to teach me how to use that technique, because this is getting ridiculous."

For the last several hours he'd been on a non-stop cross-country marathon trying to get to what he knew was the spot that Fuma Kotaro had started her ritual with the Wishing Jewels. How normal was it to see a light bright enough to be seen from all four corners of the Elemental Nations that had nothing to do with the sun?

The artefact's reacting to each other being the most logical explanation, Jiraiya made it his top priority to get to the woman's location as quickly as he could. Since he'd failed to intercept her and the four members of her gang to stop them from acquiring the remaining pieces, the man felt personally responsible for this whole mess and was now out to redeem himself.

That moment of levity would apparently be quick to resolve, as just a few seconds after picking up speed, the Toad Sage suddenly spotted a shimmer in the air up ahead and, after drawing a set of shuriken, lobbed them forward. The half a dozen ninja stars curved through the air before bouncing off of what Jiraiya's immediate thought was an invisible wall. Stopping on top of a rocky tor a few yards away, he was then quickly able to confirm that it wasn't a wall at all.

The barrier that now stood before him was actually a large spider-web made out of translucent chakra threads, all of which were now crisscrossing the canyon in front of him and blocking off his route. Narrowing his eyes when he recognized the shimmering material and its intricate design, the Sannin then had his gaze snapped to his left. Upon which he quickly leapt out of the way to avoid the rush of wind that shot down at him from above.

It was a good thing he did, because the second he leapt off of the tor the man was able to watch with morbid interest as the tower of rock was suddenly sliced into multiple cubes, which then crumbled and cascaded into the ravine below. Landing a safe distance away in time to watch his previous platform fall away, a bead of sweat appeared on the Sage's forehead.

" _I really don't like what happened to that outcrop,"_ Jiraiya thought, before turning his attention towards the cliffs above him. It didn't take him long to spot the silhouette of a figure standing at the top of the imposing wall, a sight that did not fill the Sage with any sense of comfort. "Figured as much. When you pray for gold, you get jack shit."

"It's about time you showed up," the orange-haired male with the shuriken tattoos on his face known as San spoke, a smirk present on his face as he gazed down at his quarry. Fuma Shuriken open and dangling at his side, the S-Ranked thief and mercenary lifted his nose at the Sannin, even when Jiraiya extended his hands in a fighting stance. "I've been tracking you since you left _Amegakure_."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "You were able to sense me from that far away?"

"I can sense anything from any distance, so long as I concentrate hard enough. It's one of my abilities," San replied, at the same time raising his free right hand and flexing his fingers in an unusual manner. The act of which caused the air in front of his hand to shimmer with strange, multiple-colored lights, like the sun itself was refracting off of something thin. "I'm pretty sure you can guess what my other one is."

"Yes," Jiraiya replied, eyes glancing warily towards the spider-web hanging in the air next to him, before then following it back up towards his opponent. When he saw the odd lights continue flickering around San's extended hand, he quickly realized that the shinobi was producing even more wires from his fingertips to fan them across the ravine, thereby surrounding them. A cocky smile then appeared on the hermit's lips. "Don't tell me you set this all up just for little old me?"

"You're one of Konoha's _Three Legendary Sannin_. It would be careless of me to not take special precautions… especially since you weren't using all of your abilities or power in our first fight. Not even close," the orange-haired warrior replied, at the same time thrusting his limb out to produce a wider net of web to another part of the canyon. As soon as the lengths of wires attached, San continued. "I know you're hiding a major bulk of your strength, so don't think I'm going to take it easy and let my guard down against you."

Edging his foot out as he adjusted his position, Jiraiya chuckled. "San Fuma of the _Crimson Star_ gang, otherwise known as 'San the Wind Slicer'; a man marked as a rogue S-Rank nuke-nin in the bingo book, wanted for multiple cases of theft, kidnapping, breaking-and-entering, espionage, petty larceny, and murder across fifteen countries, with a seventy-five million ryo bounty on his head. His true capabilities are currently unknown." The white haired shinobi lifted his head. "I'm guessing that's because there hasn't been a single ninja alive to walk away from a battle against you."

"That's correct," San nodded with a prideful smile. "Unlike my comrades, I'm not sloppy. I don't like leaving witnesses."

"Then… that would make me the first, wouldn't it?" Jiraiya replied, his grin only widening when he saw the Fuma ninja's smile falter a little. "Because, from what I can tell, you're able to produce solid chakra directly from all of your tenketsu points in the form of ultra-thin, high-density threads that are capable of trapping and absorbing the energy from anyone that happens to get tangled in them. They're also super sharp and can cut through just about any material they're run through." The Sannin then shrugged as he kept count of the number of wires he could see currently crossing the air above him. "I must say… that's a pretty nasty ability you have."

"Consider it a family gift," San replied, while at the same time flexing his fingers and causing his muscles to pop. "The branches within the Fuma Clan have many members with various special abilities. My branch happens to be one of them."

"I should consider myself lucky then… to face off against someone as strong and dangerous as you," Jiraiya replied, before taking a deep breath and striking a flashy fighting pose. Extending his hands and widening his grin, while at the same time propping himself up on one foot, the white-haired master of infiltration and jutsu then gave a mighty bellow. "Prepare yourself then, San! For the _Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku_ , a man who has defied the odds and shaken hands with death on multiple occasions, will be your opponent!"

At this, the enemy's expression darkened and grin widened murderously. "It is an honor I will happily be taking from you." The moment he said this, the member of the _Crimson Star_ gang thrust his right hand upwards before, with a flash of white light, unleashed a rain of a dozen transparent threads down at the man.

Grinning, the white haired ninja slammed his hands together, which then blurred through a series of indiscernible seals. A split second later his white mane of hair grew and billowed out at an alarming rate, the strands hardening to that of steel before flying upwards to intercept the net of translucent chakra threads flying at him…

OOO

(Meanwhile)

(Many miles away)

At the base of the pillar of light glowing at the top of the mountain in the center of the valley, still seated in a meditative position, the white haired, pale-skinned form of Fuma Kotaro was locked in a perpetual chant over her makeshift altar. The three Hoju stones hovering above the Lotus Cradle continued to orbit around each other, pulsing brightly as the flower petals on the carrier grew at a painfully slow rate. Despite the relic being made entirely of solid, unmoving matter, the fluttering of the cradle's blossoming petals gave the impression that it was much more than that.

Her song of Sanskrit still leaving her lips verse by verse, the woman remained as she was, her body unmoving while her hands were still in the prayer position. The bright glow of the light being produced by the artefact didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, as her expression remained relaxed and her spirit at peace.

If she kept up this pace, the success of her ritual seemed well within her reach.

The little girl lying nearby, Amaya, was still sleeping peacefully on her side.

That was until the woman's eyes opened and, after glancing over her shoulder momentarily, closed them and went back to her incantation. From her seated position and endless song, the woman unfolded her legs and pressed her soles together. Using her toes, she formed three seals with her feet, the digits flexing at impossible angles before a second body- an exact duplicate of Fuma Kotaro- suddenly emerged from the woman's back and stood up, as if she stood up out of the position herself.

" _ **Bunretsu no Jutsu."**_ (Fission Technique)

Leaving the other duplicate of herself behind to continue the incantation uninterrupted, the clone of Kotaro breathed a heavy sigh before smirking in a confident manner.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to finally appear. After my side trip to the moon to collect the final piece, I knew it was only a matter of time before you decided to step in." Scoffing a little at the hilarity of the whole situation, the woman in the purple kimono turned around and smiled at the figure that had arrived on the scene. Spotting the specter hovering above the ground just a few yards away from her, dressed in all white robes with black magatama sewn around the collar, worn over a body of pale white skin, grey hair, long goatee, horns protruding from his head, and three Rinnegan eyes framing his gruff, elderly face, Kotaro couldn't help but laugh at her good fortune. "Hagoromo Otsutsuki."

Expression reflecting no amusement whatsoever, the Sage of Six Paths, suspended over nine black orbs hovering in a perfect circle beneath him, with a single black Shakujo staff lying across his lap, the physical manifestation of the God of Shinobi then spoke to the woman in a serious voice. "Kotaro… you have to stop this. You cannot bring the parts of the _Cintamani_ back together-"

"Yeah? And why not, floating man?" Kotaro asked, ambling towards the most important figure in shinobi history and beginning to waltz around him with a playful waddle in each step. "Are you going to stop me? Is that why you decided to come out of that comfortable little void of yours… to try and force me into giving it up?"

"No," Hagoromo replied, his brow creasing anxiously as he followed the woman with his gaze only as she walked a full circle around him. "I came here to try and reason with you… with words."

"Hmph. That's a shame," Kotaro murmured, swinging her arms back and forth while eyeing the entity that had descended from the netherworlds to face her. "For a second there I was hoping I'd get to do something a little more fun. But instead you just want to talk?" The woman then grunted and, turning her back on the man in white, began to walk away from him with her hand lifting in a 'peace out' gesture. "Not interested. Have a nice day."

"Kotaro. Please… be reasonable," Hagoromo spoke, rotating on his platform of gravity-defying spheres to face the woman walking away from him and swaying her hips. "The pieces of the _Wishing Jewel_ were separated and scattered across the planet for a reason. It is an artefact that's not meant to be wielded by ordinary men."

"Well then, it's a good thing that I'm not ordinary… _or_ a man," Kotaro replied, glancing over her shoulder to smirk at the shadow of the shinobi world's most prominent figure. "Trust me, gramps. I know exactly what I'm doing." Slipping her hands behind her back, the elegant yet scantily dressed woman proceeded to observe her duplicate carry on with the ritual, the stones hovering in the center of the bright light continuing to pulse and gleam brightly.

Floating in place for several moments and keeping all three of his Rinnegan glued to the woman, the great Sage took a deep breath and hovered forward across the plateau.

"That stone was used by the Gods of the old world to bring about progress, enlightenment, and change to the human race. It even helped to arrange the stars in the sky and lay down the physics that govern this earth." Hagoromo then raised a hand and extended towards Kotaro in a peaceful and eloquent manner. "If you complete this ritual and attempt to use that artefact to sate your desires… to tamper with the fabric of law and reality… there is no telling what kind of chaos will befall this planet."

Kotaro scoffed upon hearing this and replied without looking back at her guest. "Now you're just exaggerating."

Hagoromo however was not dissuaded and continued to press forward. "The Gods entrusted humans with the ability to plant, cultivate, and care for their own lives just as they would any other element of value. They wished for the people to be free and independent of their control, and thus used the _Cintamani_ and the other heavenly tools to realize this vision." His eyes then narrowed even more seriously. "If you try to interfere with the gifts given to the whole of humankind, you will end up altering the foundations of the planet forever. Nothing will ever be sacred… and nothing will ever be the same again… not even the rite of death."

"Well… you know what they say about life. Everything dies in the end." Kotaro replied, her smile not fading for a second as she glanced across at the Great Sage. When she saw the floating God raise an eyebrow at her, the woman simply held out her hands and shrugged. "Except for you, apparently."

Feeling he wasn't getting anywhere with talking to her, Hagoromo inhaled deeply. "I implore you… don't do this." It was this request that brought a frown to Kotaro's face, who continued to glare at the man for several seconds before she turned to look back at her doppelganger.

As the ritual proceeded, the white-haired kunoichi began to speak again. "Do you know what the scariest thing is?" Receiving no answer, the woman spoke on the Sage's behalf. "To not know your place in this world. To not know _why_ you're even here." She then looked up as her response led to further explanation. "Unlike you and your family, Hagoromo, I was born unlucky… impoverished and on the streets… stealing everything I could in order to survive. Ever since I lost my family in a bandit attack, the privilege and sanctity of a peaceful lifestyle was never an option for me… until my thieving ways eventually caught the attention of some old man who, out of the goodness of his heart, decided to take me in." She then raised her head a little as memories of her past life came back to her. "When he told me that I was 'destined for greatness', I knew right away that in order to get anything in this world, whether it be praise, wealth, fame, or comfort… you had to be ruthless, and take it for yourself. When I eventually left my adoptive family, the _Fuma Clan_ , stealing and thievery soon became a way of life for me… and I quickly discovered that I was damn good at it."

Hagoromo remained silent, watching and listening as the woman recounted her history to him. All the while he kept an eye on the altar where the other Kotaro was continuing her ritual, her mind closed off from everything else going on around her. She obviously had to remain as she was, so as not to break the mantra that was the key to fulfilling her goal.

"No matter what I took… secrets, techniques, strength, knowledge… it was never enough for me. I was so driven by my compulsion for greater things that with every heist I completed and every job I pulled, there was always going to be another score waiting for me just around the corner. The challenges thrilled me and the feats excited me… made me feel more alive than ever… and gave me purpose. My instincts drove me to want more… and for that I marched on to fulfill that need." It was then the woman turned around and raised a finger, which she then waved at the Sage. "But despite all that I had gained… despite all my triumphs and successes, there was one thing that always eluded me… one question that always remained just out of my reach." She then clenched her fist and dropped it. " _The one_."

This statement had the Sage of Six Paths visibly balk a little. "The one?"

"The one to end it all… the one to bring about an outstanding revelation… and the one to bring my relentless quest to a close… to cease my eternal yearning," Kotaro stated, reaching up and slapping a hand over her chest, where she then gripped her breast mournfully. "It's a question that I reached on my own after performing my eight-hundredth take. What could this 'one' possibly be? Would it be a man? A woman? A worldwide catastrophe? A tragedy brought on by the wrath of the Gods? Or would it be an error of my own making?" She then removed her hand from her ample chest and held it up towards the Sage, to which she extended. "For ages I have wondered what it could be… what fate awaited me just around the corner… until I discovered _this_." Reaching into her obi, she then pulled out something and tossed it towards Hagoromo.

The Sage of Six Paths caught it with his right and looked down at the object in his palm to inspect it. When he did, he saw he was looking at a gold coin that was not of Elemental Nation origin. It was without a doubt old, as evident by its chipped, degraded, and crumpled state, but the carvings and images on it were still clear as day. When Hagoromo took a closer look at one side, he saw the carving of a young man- someone he did not recognize- with spiky hair and three whiskers on each of his cheeks. He was wearing a scarf and an odd set of clothes, which didn't align to anything of oriental origin.

"There was a prophecy…" Kotaro informed, causing the Sage to look up at her again, "it was recorded in one of your lost scrolls, passed down through the Senju's records for the last several generations. They told of a 'mischievous boy with blue eyes, blonde hair and whiskers', who would unite both Gods and Demons, and bring about a great change to the world. This event was predicted to happen sometime in the near future." She then gestured to the relic the old man was holding. "The funny thing is… that coin you're holding predates your mother by two thousand years."

Hagoromo looked up at the young woman in surprise.

"And it's not the only one. Over the last twenty years I've come across dozens of relics from the old world that feature a similar figure with spiky blonde hair and whiskers. The Archaic, Macedonian, Babylonian periods of Europa and Central Gaul. The Middle and New Kingdoms of Saha. The Three Kingdoms and Song dynasties from Xia. And the Kofun, Kaguya, Byzantine and Dark Eras… this guy has been everywhere." The woman then strolled forward, watching as the Sage rolled the coin between his fingers before looking up at her. "I believe that the figure displayed on that coin is the same figure featured on all of those temple walls and artefacts that I discovered."

After staring at the woman for a moment, Hagoromo then looked down at the coin in his palm. "I remember this particular premonition. My friend Gamamaru informed me years ago that an individual fitting this exact same description would appear someday and bring about a great transformation to the world… one that has not been seen in the last two thousand years."

Kotaro then narrowed her eyes on the Sage, whom she could see was also bewildered by this information. "Your current form transcends time and space, doesn't it? Can you look back into the past to verify who this guy is?"

In response, the God of Shinobi shook his head. "No. Even with my abilities, this current form won't permit me to see that far. That timeline antecedes both my own and my mother's. I can't see into the future to ascertain the premonition either, due to the multiple divergences in the time stream." His response had Kotaro curse under her breath, but did not upset the man in the slightest, who held the coin out for her to retake. "You're sure this is the same person?"

Walking over to the specter, Kotaro sighed. "I'm not. That is why I want to use the _Cintamani_ to find out whether it's true." The woman smirked as she stood before the hovering individual, who continued to face her with an unchanging expression. "That is what I desire most… _verification_ … and whether or not my fate is tied to this man's in any way. The world is steadily heading for a revolution… and I plan to be a part of the wheel that turns it." Her brow furrowed dangerously as she reached forward and, seizing the coin being extended towards her, paused for the briefest of moments. " _Do not_ take this from me, Hagoromo. Because if you do… I won't hesitate to fight a God. Even if he is a false one."

After staring back at the woman for a moment and feeling the intensity in her gaze, the elderly figure from ancient history then took a breath and nodded affirmatively. When Kotaro finally removed the coin from his palm, the old man returned his hand to his lap and watched the woman amble away. Observing the kunoichi check in on her other half and then on the unconscious Amaya, Hagoromo waited a moment before speaking again.

"Is that all you want to use the Wishing Jewel for?" Hagoromo asked, remaining as he was while eyeing the woman carefully.

A low chuckle left Kotaro's lips at that question. "There's nothing wrong with asking about where your path is going to take you." She then glanced back at the man behind her. "I mean, if you'd been given the chance, wouldn't you have taken it? Nothing really interesting or exciting has happened in the last several years anyway. If I'm able to find that one last, big score to end all scores, then that's good enough for me." When she turned around, she then revealed she was holding something else in her hand.

Hagoromo blinked a little in surprise when he recognized it as a truth-seeking ball and looked down at the ones orbiting beneath him to see the woman had swiped it while he'd been distracted.

"How did you-?"

Tossing the black object between her hands a couple of times in a teasing manner, before rolling it down her arm, across her shoulders and to her other hand like a basketball. "I'm called the greatest thief on this planet for a reason." She then spun the black ball on the tip of her finger, holding it there for a second before letting it drop into her palm. "There's nothing in this world that I can't take for myself."

Hearing her explanation then prompted Hagoromo to laugh a little, as he then looked at the kunoichi with a smile. "You truly are one of the most gifted women I've ever met. A true outlier."

Smiling at the specter and considering the orb she was holding for a moment, the woman then held her other hand over it and, after focusing her chakra into its mass, began to stretch it. With a quick swipe, the black ball was then transformed into the shape of a katana, which she then spun about and pointed towards the Sage. "Since I've got some time to kill… how about we have a little spar? I'm interested to see how the _Goddess of Wind_ stacks up against the former _God of Shinobi_."

Noticing the excitement in Kotaro's gaze and feeling the intense pressure now being generated by the kunoichi, Hagoromo hesitated for a moment as his grip on the staff across his lap tightened. It was clear she was looking to blow off some steam and, with what he knew of her current power, the great Sage was certain she could do some serious damage.

However, before any blows of any kind could be thrown, the man in white then sensed something on the air and relinquished his grip on his staff. He then floated to the side, causing Kotaro to eye him suspiciously.

"Rather than focusing on me… I believe you might want to tend to your guests," Hagoromo informed, at the same time gesturing over the plateau.

Glancing in the direction the specter was directing her, Kotaro saw exactly what distracted the three-eyed shinobi. Across the valley and standing a safe distance away from the mountain where she and the Sage of Six Paths were positioned, she saw several armies of men and women, all arranged into their respective marching formations, lying in wait for her. Having been so caught up in her discussion with her ghostly visitor that the white-haired woman hadn't even noticed the masses of military force approaching, which gave her one heck of a sight of the armies from different nationalities all lined up side-by-side to confront her.

Using her senses to calculate the exact number of troops she could see, a smile graced the world renowned thief, which then led to her lowering the katana she'd shaped out of the Sage's Gudodama. "Hmph. It took them long enough." Transforming the sword back into the black ball, the woman then turned and marched towards the edge of the plateau. At the same time she casually tossed the black ball over her shoulder and back towards Hagoromo, where the orb quickly fell back into orbit with the others. "Sorry, gramps. Guess our little duel will have to wait."

Following the woman towards the cliff edge and watching her stop, the elderly figure spoke. "What exactly are you going to do?"

Kotaro smirked. "Don't know. Go for a little stroll through the army of ten thousand shinobi waiting down there… stretch my legs." She then looked back at the specter behind her. "Maybe while I'm at it, I'll have a little fun." With a little wink, she took a step forward and swan-dived off of the edge, dropping straight down towards the bottom of the mountain.

After seeing the woman leave, the Sage of Six Paths then turned his attention to the doppelganger Kotaro sitting nearby, where he could see the white-haired woman still going through her incantation. Figuring nothing else was going to happen while he was up here, the specter turned towards the field so as to watch the event that was going to take place next.

Her fall transforming into a gentle float as an unknown wind kicked up beneath her, Kotaro floated down the last several feet before touching down gracefully on the soft grass. With her hands at her sides, the woman began to stroll across the valley and towards the armies, a cool breeze licking across the wilderness while the sun shone brightly overhead. As birds sung and danced overhead, the completely at ease kunoichi hummed to herself as she drew closer and closer to the lines of shinobi.

Once she was within speaking distance of them and she could see the entire line of troops stretching from one vanishing point to the other, the thief stopped and waited, her eyes gingerly surveying the force that'd been brought to bear upon her.

"Let's see…" Kotaro whispered, scratching her chin as she then went about counting the armies from left to right, all of whom were now standing defensively with their arms and weapons pointed directly at her. The moment she raised her finger to mark each regiment, she saw the entire front row of troops jerk backwards fearfully. "Three thousand from _Kumogakure_ …" She then pointed to the next one, "two thousand five hundred from _Kirigakure_ , one thousand five hundred from _Konohagakure_ …" Her eyes narrowed as she moved further across the valley and scrutinized the formations. "Five hundred from _Takigakure_ … sounds reasonable…" A moment of pause was given to the next group, "two thousand from _Sunagakure_. Pretty good." Her eyes then finally moved to the last formation, where she then nodded in acknowledgement, "And another one thousand from _Iwagakure_ , including two hundred from the defense forces. Man… what happened to you guys?" A wide grin then formed over her lips before she spoke in a louder voice. "Trouble at home?"

The brown haired, skinny form of Gari, who was at the head of the regiment, narrowed his eyes before shouting back at her, "You should know, bitch! You destroyed half our defenses and injured thousands of our men when you raided our village's sacred monument!"

"Oh, that's old news," Fuma Kotaro chirped while waving a hand at the commander of the Iwa forces flippantly. "We were just having some rough playtime. That's all. I'm sure there're no hard feelings between us." Resting her hands on her hips, the white-haired woman then puffed her ample chest out and spoke. "So… what can I do for you and your armies this fine morning? Come on. Speak up!"

A tense silence fell over the field, as for several moments nobody knew what to say or how to respond. The woman was acting far too casual and calm for their liking, as her cocky smirk and attitude was starting to unnerve them a little. Eventually, after much inner debate in which the legions of shinobi spent a whole minute murmuring and muttering to each other, someone was brave enough to speak up.

And that just happened to be the leader of the _Sunagakure_ forces, the sandy-brown haired Karura, who stepped forward with her fists clenched bravely. "Fuma Kotaro! For the crimes of theft, murder, espionage, and threatening to incite a third global conflict between the existing states: by the will of the daimyo and the people of _Kaze no Kuni_ , and for the good of all other nations residing across the Elemental Nations, the 1st Army under Commander Sabaku no Karura Kazehana of _Sunagakure_ are here to take you in!" She then slammed a foot into the ground, causing a blast of sand to ripple forward and across the valley, hitting the white-haired woman with a gust of strong wind. "Come quietly and we promise to give you a fair trial! But if not… we'll have no choice but to execute you here and now!"

Blinking a couple of times at hearing the courageous woman's yell and then seeing her army behind her buck up in response to her declaration, Kotaro then gave a snicker before suddenly reeling back with a bellow of laughter. Clutching her stomach as she leaned forward, the woman wheezed a couple of times before wiping away a tear. "Oh, Kami. This is great… this is _absolutely_ fantastic!" She then looked up at the armies in front of her with a grin. "This turned out better than I expected! All the great nations of the world uniting together to come and stop me! ME! Of all people! I couldn't have asked for a greater turnout!"

Upon catching her breath and straightening up, Kotaro took a moment to run a hand through her long white locks and sigh. But after doing so, the kunoichi then peered up at the armies from under the shadow of her fringe, whereupon she then flashed them all an intense and incredibly murderous look. The sight of her yellow eyes glaring at them with such menace caused the people at the front of each formation to break out into nervous sweat, while at the same time take a cautionary step back.

"But… if ten thousand shinobi was all you were able to bring to the table… I'm afraid it's not going to be enough." When she saw the army closest to her brandish their weapons in response to her statement, the white haired woman swung her arm out and, producing a small cyclone of wind to encompass her body, leaned forward into a starter's stance. "I haven't had a proper fight in over a decade. Perhaps you lot can at least give me some kind of warm up." Her grin widened even more so as she took aim at the regiment of soldiers in front of her. "Though I'm not expecting much!"

With a blast of dust and a sonic boom, the woman launched herself from the ground and dashed towards the battalions of a thousand _Takigakure_ and _Konohagakure_ soldiers directly in front of her. Seeing her approach, the two allied armies quickly took defensive stances with their weapons drawn, at the same time the commander at the head of the hidden leaf armies, Choza Akimichi, clad in his clan's signature battle armor, spread his legs in a low stance and gritted his teeth.

"Get ready, men! Here she comes!"

As she sprinted across the grass, the smirking Kotaro drew her hand back and, taking aim at the hulking form of Choza, prepared to run him through.

But just as she was nearly upon her prey and the regiment of soldiers could see her closing in, a flash of light followed by a thunderclap suddenly echoed across the field, as what looked like a bolt of lightning suddenly cut across the valley from the right and collided with the charging Kotaro. The white haired woman was caught completely by surprise when what felt like a locomotive crashed into her face, knocking her off her feet and sending her flying across the field in the completely wrong direction.

Bouncing off of the floor like a ragdoll, the woman quickly corrected her flight path and forced herself into a controlled spin. Slamming into the ground several dozen yards later, Kotaro slammed her two hands and knee into the floor, where she then skidded to a grinding stop seconds later and looked up with a start. A trickle of blood then ran out of the corner of her mouth.

"What the heck?"

When her eyes locked onto the 'thing' that had crashed into her, she saw the large, clenched fist of the Third Raikage retract and the man himself, bathed in an aura of lightning chakra, rise up to full height and glare the woman down.

"I will no longer let you do as you please, Fuma Kotaro," A spoke, bolts of lightning shooting off of him to strike the ground. "Your spree of petty crimes and mischief ends now." When he said this, his armor of lightning intensified tenfold, veins appearing on his throbbing muscles while his hair spiked up even more from his increase in power.

Recognizing the figure standing before her instantly, a previously surprised Kotaro grinned widely and stood up. A cackle of delight then left her lips. "Hyahaha! The Third Raikage? The would-be strongest and most powerful Kage in _Kumogakure's_ history _?_!" Spitting the blood from her mouth, the woman then raised a fist and shook it victoriously. "Finally! I managed to reel in a big one!"

Just before the kunoichi could assume any sort of stance in preparation for her fight, the Third Raikage took a big step forward, winded his right fist back and, with a roar of effort, slammed his fist into the ground. The wicked haymaker not only punctured the earth, it also generated a shockwave so violent and intense that it shattered the ground in front of him for over eight hundred meters.

The landscape was almost literally shaken to pieces as the floor caved in and crumbled towards Fuma Kotaro, who gave a startled yelped as she almost lost balance. A split second later, as the ripples of force sent tidal waves of randomly moving slabs of ground across the valley, the Third Raikage suddenly came charging forward in a blur of light. With a second clap of thunder, the immense leader of Kumo's ninja forces crashed into the infamous white-haired kunoichi with an elbow, hitting her clean in the side and knocking her skywards.

" _ **Elbow!"**_ He practically plowed through his opponent without stopping, the force of impact causing the ground to further quake.

All around the six armies the shinobi and kunoichi present all gawked in shock as they watched the Third Raikage send Fuma Kotaro flying. The woman practically shot skywards, spiraling out of control, while the valley beneath them split and cracked. Almost immediately after seeing their beloved Kage deliver such a wicked blow to their target, the entire _Kumogakure_ force erupted into cheers, with the other villagers slowly following suit with scattered cries of triumph.

"There it is!"

"Raikage-sama's mountain-crushing _Elbow_!"

"He got her! He got _The Wind Demon_ with a single hit!"

"Awesome!" Were among many of the outbursts and shouts made by the members of the Cloud army.

Watching from the front, another of the Jonin present turned to his colleagues and spoke in an excited tone. "Thanks to Raikage-sama's _Lightning Style Armor_ , not only is his speed and reflexes exponentially increased, but also his durability. Combined with his overwhelming taijutsu prowess, he can effortlessly shut down his opponents with earth-shattering force. He is practically unstoppable." He then looked to his right where, standing tall amongst the rest of the men and women, his well-built form capped off by the village's signature body armor and blond mess of hair sitting comfortably on his head, was the Raikage's right-hand man Darui. "That was a quick fight, wasn't it?"

Expression unchanged as he watched the body of the airborne and supposedly defeated Fuma Kotaro begin to fall, the calm Darui scrunched his brow anxiously as he suddenly saw the woman throw herself into a controlled spin. "I wouldn't be so sure." In anticipation, the man held up his collapsible sword and snapped it open.

Seconds later the cheering and clapping amongst the _Kumogakure_ contingent was effectively silenced when, dropping down to the ground and landing with a light thump on three limbs, the armies watched Kotaro rise back up into a standing position. Body hunched forward, they saw the white-haired woman sway a little before taking a big step forward.

A meanwhile, standing several yards away and watching the woman with a serious expression, narrowed his eyes warily. _"Did I just graze her? No. I got her with a clean hit."_ Glancing down at his arm, the towering Raikage looked back at his opponent with a nervous bead of sweat visible on his brow. _"But that body… it felt like I was striking a heavy slab of metal. Is she… even human?"_

After a moment of swaying on the spot, the white-haired woman suddenly threw her head back and, with a gasp of delight, leered across at the Raikage. "WOOO! Good morning!" Shaking her head and straightening up to full height, the kunoichi flexed her arms. "That woke me up. What a tackle. If you'd actually gotten me with your _**Jigokuzuki**_ (Hell Stab) instead of an elbow, I probably would've been in trouble. Too bad." She then grinned at the hulking mass of her lightning imbued foe. "You won't get another chance like that again."

The Kumogakure shinobi at the front watching the fight couldn't help but appear shocked.

"Uhh… she's still standing."

Darui nodded at the shinobi's question. "This is bad. She doesn't have a scratch on her." That fact alone was enough to make him and the rest of the shinobi forces at his back worry.

Watching the woman stretch her arms out, the Raikage continued his diagnosis of her condition. _"She's definitely human… there's no doubt about that… but…"_ When he saw Kotaro turn to leer at him, A suddenly felt a cold chill run through his body when he found himself staring down the eyes of something incredibly sinister. _"Why do I get the feeling… like I should get the hell out of here right now?"_ Though her form was small and lithe compared to his rippling mass, the Raikage was almost certain he was now staring down the form of giant demon, his body quivering with anxiousness despite its powered-up state. It was almost like he was facing off against Pandora's Box, where an unbridled force was just waiting beneath the crack of the lid, ready to burst free.

Amongst the _Iwagakure_ ranks, standing at the head of the pack alongside a stone-faced Gari, was the elderly form of Roshi, the jinchuriki of the Four-Tails. Sporting a purple battle gi with fishnet armor underneath, his red hair tied into a bun and his bearded face framed by a brown headpiece, the old Jonin frowned deeply when he picked up an ominous presence in the air.

"Hey… do you feel that?" the old man asked quietly to himself, a bead of nervous sweat running down the side of his face.

When at first it seemed like no one was going to respond, a deep voice inside Roshi's head suddenly responded. _**"That woman is bad news, old man. Be careful…"**_ The warning prompted the elder to nod.

Over on _Sunagakure's_ side, Karura, who was heading the legion of soldiers in her ranks, glanced across at a tattooed young man with sandy brown hair, black rings around his eyes, and wearing a full-black uniform, standing firmly beside her. When she saw the nervous look on his face, she guessed right away that something was up, and quickly turned her attention back to the fight.

Cracking her neck by stretching her head to the side, Kotaro gave one last sigh before smirking at her opponent. "Seeing as how I'm a sportswoman… and I don't want this fight to be over too quickly, I'll only use taijutsu to fight against you. Does that sound fair?"

A grunted in response to her cocky remark. "Fine by me. But don't expect me to hold anything back. From here on out, I'm coming at you at full power."

His statement prompted Kotaro to wink playfully. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't."

Frowning, A gave a low growl before, with a flash of lightning, he launched himself at his opponent. Giving a loud yell, the Raikage unleashed a right haymaker on the woman, watching her smile through his bullet time vision as he struck her across the face and sent her flying. Kotaro practically soared across the open field and past the stunned eyes of the army, who watched the woman spin around, land against a distant boulder, before vanishing in a blur.

While everyone lost sight of her, the Third Raikage, who was standing in a punching position, suddenly snapped his head over his shoulder in alarm, before he was suddenly kicked in the back by Kotaro reappearing behind him. A yelp left the Kage's throat as he was sent crashing into the floor, his lightning armor momentarily dissipating from the surprise hit until it reignited. In a flash, the leader of Kumo threw himself forward into a recovery, tapped down and, with blinding speed, vanished as well.

Kotaro simply observed the field calmly, before her eyes followed the air to the space behind her where, seeing the Raikage reappear, kick her across the back of the head. With a yell of her own, the woman flew across the valley in another direction, with A quickly giving chase and catching up to her body. Passing it, the Raikage then positioned himself in her path and, cranking back his right hand, slammed a punch across her face. The blow caused a loud shockwave to ring out as a crater was blown into the floor beneath them.

From there, Kotaro then swung back at A with a punch of her own, before the duo began exchanging blows at blinding speed. Grunting with every hit as the pair traded punches and kicks in a blur, while simultaneously dodging their opponent's counters, the duo then threw an elbow at each other, their attacks colliding and sending both skidding away from each other from the sonic boom that went off between them. As the dust and debris billowed outwards from their point of exchange, the two opponent faced one another down, with a smirking Kotaro giving a chuckle of delight.

"I'm impressed. Behind all that raging muscle and ridiculous hair, there's actually a competent shinobi," Kotaro laughed, not at all concerned with the thousands of other shinobi watching them in the background.

Hearing the woman's comment drew a scoff from A, "And behind all that insufferable smarm is a dead one." Clenching his fists and tightening his muscles, the Raikage gave a loud grunt as his lightning aura intensified. The result was another bolt of lightning shooting out to strike the ground, which easily caused it to crack.

Inhaling deeply, Kotaro replied. "A-chan… you couldn't fathom the amount of _dead_ shinobi behind me." Clenching her own fists and taking a stance, the white-haired woman then unleashed a blast of wind from her body, which enveloped her like a tornado and began sending a gale of wind across the terrain.

Ignoring the amount of chakra his opponent was now emanating, the pumped up Raikage leaned forward and dashed at the kunoichi in the form of a bolt of lightning. With a roar, he threw his hand towards her in a stabbing motion, his two fingers extending his cloak into a fine point with the capacity of cutting his opponent in two. However, the moment he unleashed his blow, Kotaro came diving at him and deflected his oncoming blow with a swift palm-strike. The force of his hit deflecting and sending a slicing wind across the terrain, which cut the top off of a distant plateau, A then threw his left fist forward in a punch.

Catching his blow with her palm and then his right punch when he came swinging back at her with it, both Kotaro and A then interlocked their fingers and locked themselves in a grappling match. Lightning and wind chakra then came blasting off of the pair in the form of a hurricane as they pushed against their opponent, the Raikage growling loudly as his muscles throbbed and attempted to force the smaller woman back. But despite his best efforts and much to the astonishment of those who were watching, the kunoichi didn't budge an inch.

She remained there, feet buried in the ground, pushing back against the man with equal force, and a serious, unflinching expression on her face.

Lightning shot off of A's body to crack and burn the ground, while blades of cutting wind blasted from Kotaro's back and sliced apart the landscape behind her. Debris and rubble flying about the gale-force winds like confetti, it was only a matter of time before one of the two ninja gave in.

"Go Raikage-sama!"

"You can win!"

"Don't let that woman beat you!"

As the Raikage shoved against Kotaro's grip in an effort to overpower her, the kunoichi, straining against the man's vice-like hold, drew back her head before throwing it forward. Her skull crashed against the man's face in a full-on head butt, crushing his nose and drawing a yelp of pain from the man as his grip was effectively relinquished from hers. "GAH!" The instant he was hit, Kotaro then slammed a teep into his chest and sent A flying across the battlefield, tearing a trench through the ground like a knife through water.

Stopping several yards later with a burst of chakra, A's chakra armor flared up, a split second before the man charged at Kotaro with a yell of rage. "RAAAAGH!" Kotaro had enough time for her expression to switch from smug to surprise, which was then shot down when the Raikage slammed his head into her face in retaliation. Knocking her back with the force of an artillery cannon, the leader of Cloud then proceeded to beat the ever-living crap out of his opponent, a barrage of lightning fast punches raining down upon Kotaro and bombarding her body like a veritable bag of sand.

After an unrelenting string of blows wrecked Kotaro's limber form from head to toe, A then drew back his left fist and drove it into her chest to conclude his assault, knocking her off her feet and propelling her at breakneck speeds across the valley. With a cry of terror, Kotaro soared through the air like a bullet before crashing back first into a distant mountain, which fractured and imploded under the force of her landing. The entire front side of the rocky outcrop collapsed on top of her body, burying her under a thousand tons of rubble.

The sight had everyone in the vicinity cringe and cheer, with the Kumogakure forces hollering the loudest in support of their beloved Kage. A meanwhile remained calm, though he was unable to hide the surprise that the woman was actually able to go toe-to-toe with him in a taijutsu battle.

Even Darui, Karura, Gari, Roshi, and the Third Mizukage of _Kirigakure_ , Arato, expressed similar looks of concern.

When the cloud of dust settled moments later, the armies of observing shinobi as well as the still powered-up Raikage were able to see the extent of the damage done to the edifice. In most cases an enemy kunoichi would've easily been transformed into pace from a collapse like that and therefore the entire fight would've been over.

But then, just when everyone believed the fight to be done, the allied forces looked on in shock as one of the largest pieces of rubble the size of a house shifted, seconds before the entire thing rolled away and Fuma Kotaro emerged from the pile. Standing atop the crater, the woman revealed herself to be grungy, covered in dust, but nevertheless unharmed.

"Ooh… woo…" Kotaro exclaimed while hopping down from the pile of rubble and beginning to waltz across the field under the shocked gazes of her audience. "Look at you go, A-chan. My, aren't you a tough customer?"

The Raikage's face tightened angrily. "That snark isn't going to save you when I'm taking you apart, piece by piece." He then lowered his head when he saw the woman stop at the base of the remains of the mountain she'd crashed into. "If you haven't noticed already, I've literally got you against the wall. If you want my advice… I think it would be in your best interest to surrender. Right now."

The white haired kunoichi giggled and closed her eyes. "And don't think I don't appreciate the effort. By a wide margin, you're packing far more of a wallop than Onoki ever did. Your speed, chakra, and physical strength are without a doubt a cut above the rest of your grunts. I would even go so far as to say that you are indeed the strongest Kage to ever come out of _Kumogakure_." It was at that moment Kotaro opened her eyes and gave the steaming Raikage another smug leer. "However… while you are certainly better than most, you will never… _ever_ … defeat me."

This certainly got A's attention. "Oh yeah? And why is that?"

Cocking her hip to the side, resting her fingers on her chin while at the same time cupping her propped elbow with the other, the deadly, femme fatale of a villain than proceeded to elaborate. "Your speed, strength and taijutsu are astonishing. Don't get me wrong. But your attacks are too linear, too direct… and far too predictable. You're continuously following the same pattern of movements over and over again… and your massive bulk doesn't allow for much flexibility or nimbleness. You've also got a ton of blind spots." Kotaro then grinned when she saw the Raikage recoil at her assessment. "You may be good at wrestling with Tailed Beasts… but you're nowhere near good enough to take me on. In layman's terms… you can't touch me."

Sparks of lightning shot off of A as he gnashed his teeth at the woman. "Then what do you call the last five minutes?!"

Kotaro's immediate response was to close her eyes and smile. "Pity." Her flippant answer drew a loud growl from the Raikage.

Noticing that their ally was getting riled up, an observing Arato stepped out of his formation of soldiers and called across the valley towards the leader of _Kumogakure_. "A! Ignore her! She's just playing you!"

Choosing to go by his instincts and wanting to end this fight quickly, the Third Raikage lunged forward and went on the offensive. Charging across the field, he swung out at the smirking kunoichi with a thrust of his signature _Hell Stab_. But just before his lightning spear could even get within a hair's breadth of the woman, Kotaro simply slipped to the side and spun around the man, causing the Raikage to overshoot and crash into the pile of rubble behind them instead.

His impact punching a crater into the floor and blowing away the rubble like a blast of wind against a mound of dust, A spun around and charged at the kunoichi again. The moment he was in reach, he began lashing out at the woman with a series of lightning fast haymakers and kicks, only to watch Kotaro calmly dance and weave around his attacks effortlessly. All the while the woman hummed every time his attacks missed, showing complete control of the situation as she skipped backwards across the valley at a comfortable pace.

Upon watching Kotaro mockingly jump over the Raikage's lightning straight and kick off of his extended forearm to cartwheel through the air, a previously confident Arato gave the scene a deadpanned look before shouting to the Raikage again. "Correction… she's _been_ playing you!" Directly behind the Mizukage, all the soldiers arranged into their squads fell comically to the floor.

After a full minute of ducking and dodging the Third Raikage's blows with her hands behind her back, Kotaro then sprang away to avoid another one of the man's infamous finger jabs. Landing safely several yards away, she then watched A turn to look across at her furiously; agitated veins pulsing on his forehead and his aura sparking violently.

"Damn you, woman!" the man roared, unable to comprehend what was going on as the woman gently tapped the toes of her bare foot against the floor. "You've just been toying with me this whole time?!"

Despite the man's obvious anger, Kotaro remained a hundred percent calm. "Of course. I did say that I was just going to be using taijutsu against you… and when I make a promise I always do my best to keep it." She then held her hands out and smirked at the man. "I'm the kind of person who takes what she wants and does what she pleases. So becoming the world's most powerful kunoichi wasn't that difficult a task." A shrug then followed her brash statement. "Right now I've only been fighting with five percent capacity. Want to see what I can do with eight?"

Growling, A charged up his aura and blasted forward, cranking back his right fist and thrusting it forward with blinding speed. He was upon Kotaro in less than two milliseconds, whom he could see was still grinning up at him.

"Don't fuck with me!" the Raikage bellowed as his fist shot forward to crash into the woman's face and turn it into a puddle.

However, just when it seemed like his knuckles were about to make contact, a flash of light suddenly blinded the ninja, an instant before a deafening thunderclap filled his ears as the Cloud leader's head was knocked backwards by a sharp blow to the face. As a cloud of blood filled the air above him, the armies of shinobi watching from a distance could only gawk in shock when they saw the Third Raikage was struck in the nose by a palm thrust from his opponent- who'd managed to dodge his attack at the last moment and deliver a counter.

As A reeled backwards from the blow, in bullet time, Fuma Kotaro swung her arms about before settling into a low, comfortable stance. With her hands and fingers mimicking the forward arms of an insect, a murderous look came upon her face as she glared her stunned opponent down.

"Oops… looks like I used _**Kuro Kamakiri Ken**_ ," (Black Mantis Fist) Kotaro chirped, before suddenly stepping up to the Kage and delivering a barrage of blindingly fast mantis jabs, finger and palm strikes. The blows flew in seemingly from all directions, hitting the Kage's vital points around the chest and torso, as well as the joints of his limbs. Each hit was accompanied by a loud 'bang' as the leader of Kumogakure was knocked across the valley by the woman's repeating string of deadly blows. "This isn't taijutsu. More like an extinct form of kung fu I 'acquired' from a burned down monastery. Tell me how it feels."

The Raikage could only grunt and yelp in pain as the entire front of his body was subjected to the woman's bombardment of attacks. Moments later, after traveling several hundred yards across the open field, Kotaro finished her combination with a piercing palm strike to the man's face, which drove him headfirst into a mountain wall. A loud shockwave rang out as the entire side of the edifice was split down the center, rubble cascading to the valley as it was shaken up by the force of the woman's attacks.

In response, the _Kumogakure_ forces waiting in the wings cried out in horror.

"Raikage-sama!"

"A-sama got hit!"

"Is he okay?!"

Removing her palm from A's face, Kotaro then skipped away to watch the Raikage collapse to his knees. His face pulverized and his body covered in bruises, blood trickled down from the commander's hairline, nose and mouth, as he took a moment to spit up blood before looking at the woman standing over him. Even as debris continued to crumble on top of him, the Raikage wasn't deterred.

" _She… really did hide her true power,"_ A thought in shock, one eye closed from the blood trickling down his face.

Kotaro cackled excitedly as she leered down at her opponent. "Kyahaha! A Kage on his knees in front of me!"

"H-How?" the Raikage wheezed, clenching his fists tightly as he quickly assessed the damage done to his body. Being so shaken up, it was incredibly difficult for him to get any concrete results. "With my lightning style armor and iron-hard skin… you shouldn't be able to harm me…"

The white-haired kunoichi grinned and pointed down at him. "Your power and strength is top class… but power is easy. That attack I just used on you was nothing but pure technique, designed to strike all your vital points." Kotaro then lowered her hand and lifted her head high. "All the muscle and bulk in the world can't stop targeted hits to the organs. Now you've lost."

Frowning, A then slammed his hands into the floor and struggled to stand. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just a little surprised."

"Heh. Really?" Kotaro asked, a menacing grin spreading across her lips as she stepped to the side and began to rotate around. "Then I'll surprise you some more. Sit there and watch… as the _Goddess of Wind_ annihilates and massacres your entire army." She then turned her back on the Raikage and began marching towards the regiments of soldiers watching in the background.

Eyes widening in alarm, A scrambled forward with his hand extended. "WAIT! DON'T TOUCH THEM!"

" _ **Ranton: Reiza Sakasu!"**_ (Storm Release: Laser Circus)

Just as Kotaro was about to her abandon her fight with the Kage, the woman raised a hand and batted away several beams of blue, electrical energy that suddenly came shooting at her from her flank at lightning speed. After watching the ones that missed her streak past, distracting her, the white haired kunoichi took on a foul look as a shadow suddenly fell over her, as the Raikage's bodyguard Darui came flying at her with his sword drawn back.

A furious look framed the blonde-haired Jonin's face as he silently dove down at the woman with a downward swing of his sword. From the army's point of view, it looked as though the man was going to make a clean hit.

But just when the blade was about to carve through Kotaro's body, the kunoichi suddenly leaned back at the last second, grabbed Darui's ankle and yanked it back, causing him to fall forward. Before the Jonin could even give a startled yelp, the woman ended up grabbing the back of his head and slammed him face-first into the floor, punching a face-shaped hole into the ground and splitting the earth with his impact. As his cleaver flew out of his grip, Kotaro pulled the man's head back and repeatedly and mercilessly began slamming it into the floor like a jackhammer.

Eventually, after driving the Jonin's face into the floor an excessive amount of times, Kotaro stopped, and pulled the hapless man's head out of the floor. Looking up at the armies watching in horror from the sidelines, she then showed them the unconscious Darui's face, which was not only mangled but also bleeding heavily, had a sunken eyeball and a couple of missing teeth.

The expression the kunoichi had on was a deadpanned mask of murderous intent. "See this?" she asked the thousands of shinobi watching from nearby. "Now it's _**your**_ turn." She then unceremoniously released Darui's skull, allowing the man to flop to the ground uselessly.

A flash of blinding light then occurred directly behind Kotaro, as the Raikage, his lightning armor flaring up to full power, leapt off the floor and lunged at her with thrust of his finger. "KOTAROOOOOOO!" The energy blade at the end of his digit extended, threatening to cut through her with a single hit as he swung it at the back of her head at full speed.

Kotaro however, her face remaining blank, slipped her left to the right to dodge his blow, before swinging her left arm over her shoulder and slamming her knuckles into A's face in a clean back-fist. Her perfect counter cracked against the Raikage's face, caving in his face and knocking him out. Lightning aura dissipating, the Third toppled backwards and crashed to the floor with a dull thud, thus marking an end to his fight with Kotaro.

A foul grin then crossed Kotaro's lips. "I'm a genius… so I'm on to your fighting style. I'm _done_ with you, Third Raikage." Cracking her neck, the woman then left A and Darui where she'd dropped them and began heading towards the _Kumogakure_ and _Kirigakure_ armies. The moment she started to move and locked her bloodthirsty gaze on her next targets, she saw the hundreds of shinobi in her line of sight take a terrified step back. "It's time to get this massacre start-" Before she could finish her sentence, the woman jerked to the side sharply, avoiding a powerful stream of water that rocketed across the field from seemingly out of nowhere.

When her eyes snapped towards the Hidden Mist army, she saw that the Mizukage, Arato, had his hand in the air and was suspending a massive sphere of water several times his size above him. The moment Kotaro's eyes landed on the village's leader, she saw him focus his glare on her and rotate his hand. _**"Suiton: Suiryuben!"**_ (Water Release: Water Dragon Whip) From the body of water, over a dozen sharp streams of water were launched, shooting towards Kotaro at high speed.

Crouching down, Kotaro leapt into the air, dodging the initial barrage with a few graceful turns and flips. That was until one of the water whips changed directions and sliced through the kunoichi's left arm, taking it off at the bicep. Not even flinching from the debilitating blow, the white haired woman dropped out of the air and touched down on the grass. The moment she skidded to a stop, the woman saw her arm hit the ground next to her, drawing an annoyed glance from the owner.

Arato smirked when he saw he'd successfully scored a hit. "Not so confident now, are you? As the leader of the Hidden Mist, it is my duty to step in and stop you." As more water began to gather inside the sphere from the air, the leader of the forces from the Land of Water smirked. "Your rampage across the continent ends now."

At first the shinobi forces thought they were safe, with many of them smiling and cheering at seeing the leader of _Kirigakure_ seemingly wound the villain. However, just as everyone thought the tide of the battle was turning, Kotaro, smirking broadly, reached down, picked up her right arm, and slammed it back into the stump where it'd been cut from. The shinobi armies then watched with morbid surprise as the kunoichi twisted her once severed limb into place and flexed it. Upon which Kotaro removed her other hand from the cut and revealed her arm was healed and back in place.

"You were saying?" the kunoichi chirped.

Choza Akimichi, who'd watched the entire scene, gulped nervously. "That's not good."

Reacting in alarm, Arato quickly wrenched his hand out of the ball of water he'd formed above him, and quickly made a hand seal. "Witch!" He was then about to fly through the next seal to perform a technique, only to suddenly stop when a spurt of blood passed his gaze. Just like that he could no longer see Kotaro standing in his line of fire and looked over his shoulder to see the white haired woman standing nearby, holding a completely new, severed arm.

It only took a few seconds for him to realize that it was in fact his arm that she was holding, which the Mizukage confirmed when he looked down to his right side and saw a stump hanging in front of him.

"Hmm… that was a neat little jutsu," Kotaro chuckled, at the same time playing with the fingers of her newly acquired limb in front of the stunned armies of shinobi. "Good speed and cutting power. But what are you going to do now without an arm?"

Sweat broke out on the shocked Arato's face when he realized the woman, using speed he wasn't able to track, had been able to slice his limb off. Backing up in horror as the orb of floating water he was controlling splashed uselessly to the ground, the Kage then brought his one remaining arm about and reached for a weapon. That was about as far as he got before his entire world went black, as Kotaro's leg firmly planted itself into his neck.

An earsplitting crack filled the desert as the legendary kunoichi blinked her way toward Arato and slammed a kick into the side of his head. The result was her blow sending her opponent into a literal spin, causing him to flip twice through the air before slamming into the floor hard and heavy. The Mizukage was unconscious before he completed his first spin, as evident by how limp his form became in its descent.

Spinning about gracefully, causing a cloud of dust to kick up around her, the kimono-wearing Kotaro then turned her attention to the legions of stunned shinobi around her and grinned.

"Alright boys and girls… let's get _wild_!"

Karura, having seen and witnessed enough, decided to take action. "ALL MEN! BATTLE STATIONS! FLANK THAT WOMAN AND TAKE HER DOWN!" Her war cry was heard all across the field, prompting had all shinobi and kunoichi within the _Sunagakure_ ranks to immediately take up arms. Swords, lances and kunai flashed into view, with the brown haired young male with ringed eyes also setting himself into a fighting stance as his cousin reached for the battle fan hanging from her back. "DO NOT GIVE HER A CHANCE TO BREATHE!"

Apparently all the other armies in that valley took this as their turn to act as well. All at once, a massive roar rang up as over a thousand men drew weapons and prepared to fight. They weren't the only ones to act either, as from within the _Iwagakure_ masses an enormous cloud of sand and dust blasted into the sky, before parting violently to reveal the hulking, towering form of the _**Yonbi**_ (Four-Tails) burst onto the scene.

With his tails whipping furiously behind him and fur billowing against the wind, the enormous ape with tusks and blazing yellow eyes gave a terrifying growl, and sprang forward- joining its forces in a full charge.

Fuma Kotaro however, upon seeing the armies around her respond and the biju make an appearance, was undeterred.

In fact the woman's grin only seemed to widen even more as an animalistic look of raw, overwhelming excitement filled her face- her eyes widening manically as she crouched low and extended her arms in a fearsome, predatory stance.

Soon the entire world felt the frightening power of the _Goddess of Wind_ slamming down on it, as the moment the armies charged at her, an explosion equivalent to a small nuke suddenly erupted, sending earth and sand spewing into the sky. The shockwave that followed spread for miles around, shaking the canyons and mountains, and parting the clouds.

As screams of people being thrown off their feet by the blast echoed across the valley with the earthquake, up on top of the tor where the pillar of light continued to shine brightly, the ghostly form of Hagoromo remained- floating in place with his legs folded and his Rinnegan eyes taking in the sight of Kotaro's impressive rampage.

While he watched, Amaya, being woken by the tremors of Kotaro's attack, sat up and looked around. After taking note of the pillar of light near her and the white-haired woman in front of it, she then turned to the landscape lying out before her. When she saw the mushroom cloud hanging in the air over the edge of the cliff, the child's eyes blinked with amazement.

"Wow…"

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**


End file.
